New Life with the Darkness
by Ryo11
Summary: FIVE CHAPTERS! YAY!...ok...it seems that there is more to Maleficent than meets the eye here as she starts getting these weird feelings she's never felt before
1. It Starts

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or the wonderful characters of Disney and Squaresoft. If you want money so bad as to sue me fat chance you'll get anything! *digs into pockets and pulls out various items* Look, all I have is a paperclip, 7 cents, some pocket lint, valve oil (yeah, I play the trumpet, gotta problem w/ bandos?) and some micro nuclear missiles..uhh.you didn't hear me say that! *puts things back into pocket and runs off into the void which is this fic* +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+- +-+-+-+-+-+-  
  
Chapter 1: It Starts  
  
In a dark room of a warehouse sized building sat a teenaged girl in front of a 20" TV screen playing the game Kingdom Hearts. She had brown hair that just reached her shoulder blades and it was some-what messy from her frustration from the game. She wore old gym clothes which were slightly wrinkled from their lack of cleaning over the past week. Even though she would go to bed soon she had a necklace made of a small sword with two bronze dragons wrapping their bodies around it and made a cross shape. In the hilt of the sword there was a blood red jewel. After saving the game once she had arrived at Hollow Bastion ready to fight Maleficent, she yawned, stretched, and noticed it was already 1:45 in the morning.  
"Man, I'm finishing early tonight," she said as she ended her sentence with another yawn and stood up to go into the room that she shared with 4 other girls who were also 14 years old. She crept in quietly and went into bed and fell asleep. But little did she know that in a another world around this time the game she had been playing was continuing only from a much earlier part from where she saved, and this wasn't a game..this was real.  
  
Maleficent was standing before the other villains in the darkest room of Hallow Bastion. Everyone was hiding in the comfort of the shadows so it was difficult to see most of their facial features, at least for those who had them, and listened as consciously as they could to what their self-proclaimed leader had to say.  
"What is this about Maleficent?" shouted an angry Captain Hook. "Some of us need to get some sleep so we can plot against a certain hand-eating-crocodile-feeding-boy."  
"Worry about your flying nuisance later, Captain. I have news that concerns all of us," she replied in her usual calm tone which was altered with annoyance from the question. "With the help of my magic I found that there is another world very close to ours in the realm of reality which have these contraptions called 'video games', with these 'games' people of all ages can become anything the 'game' will allow them to. One of these-"  
"All right already, would you just get to the point so we can all go to bed already?" asked Jafar after letting out a very loud and obnoxious yawn.  
"SILENCE!" shouted Maleficent as she extended her arms outwards causing her black and purple robes to fly out giving the allusion of flames as green lightning flashed behind her with her anger revealing the somewhat scared faces of her fellow villains who were freshly reminded of one of the reasons why they shouldn't make her mad. "I will not tolerate any more interruptions from any of you. Do I make myself clear?" Everyone nodded and mumbled a reply as they soon grew silent and allowed her to continue.  
"As I was saying," she continued. "One of these games is classified as a role playing game. This particular game is about our plot to capture the princesses of heart and leave all keyholes to the different worlds open for the heartless. With this game in existence it could cause the two worlds to collide and/or most likely prevent our dream from becoming a reality."  
"So what do we do to this thing from messing with our gig? We can't just go there and badda bing, badda boom bring them all here can we?" asked Hades the Lord of the Underworld.  
"We can't, but the heartless can," replied a voice coming from the shadowed hallway near the group. Riku stepped forth and stood beside Maleficent and looked at everyone and continued speaking. "We will send the heartless into the other world and we will retrieve as many copies as it takes until we can know everything we can about it and use the knowledge to insure you will get everything you wanted since you agreed to do this," he looked over to Maleficent who nodded to him then looked back at everyone and without a moment's hesitation she tapped her staff on the ground (I love the sound it makes in the movie ^_^) and not long after a dark pool formed before her on the ground and the heartless that she summoned appeared awaiting their instructions.  
"I will open a portal for you to go through where there you will seize all copies of the game Kingdom Hearts and bring them back here," stated Maleficent. The heartless stumbled into the portal on the ground where in the night's shadows secretly stole every copy of Kingdom Hearts that they came across. *_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_ *_*_*_*_*_ So what do you think so far? I know it may not seem like much but more is to come, well, hopefully at least. This is Ryo saying thanks for reading this fic and please R&R for any suggestions or comments you may have...And if I do not get a response soon I will send millions of puchuus to the homes of those who have read this and did not respond and infect your computers with demented carebare viruses. So have a nice day ^_^. 


	2. Intrusions

Author's Notes: (MUST READ FOR COMPLETE UNDERSTANDING FOR THIS FIC) First, I would like to say the other world mentioned in the previous chapter wasn't talking about Earth. This is a different world similar to the one of FFVIII where it is modern but only small some-what secluded towns exist. There aren't very many fiends in this world, well, not very many harmful ones at least. Dragons do exist and team up with humans aka Dragon Knight/Valkyrie (almost like Dragon Riders of Pern for those who have read the book series) but are hunted down by slayers as well. If you have any more questions about this world that confuse you about this world please put it in your response or just that section and I'll answer it in the next chapter I'll post, k? And yes, I know there were kajillions of mistakes in the first chapter, but only because I forgot to check it completely, gomen nasai minna-san! T_T =~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~=~ =~  
  
Chapter 2: Intrusions  
  
The heartless had been bringing back the games indeed but since none of them brought memory cards as well they were pretty much useless. Since they had just gotten started only about 100 games had been stolen and unmissed. After the heartless were told to bring a memory card with each game until told to stop they made their way to the room of five 14 years-old girls who were fast asleep. In the center of the room the black pool of heartless formed on the ground and 5 shadow heartless searched the room and only found the case to the one girl's game. They went to the closed door and pressed themselves to the ground and slid under it, but the one with the case accidentally scarped it against the door causing one of the sleeping girls to wake up.  
"Toshiko, go see what's in the hall." said one girl on the top of a bunk bed who didn't even get up to speak. The girl who was playing the game earlier looked up and opened one eye. She sighed and reached for her bamboo sword (shinai) and slumped to the door.  
"It's probably just a mouse," she said after a long yawn then opened the door and went to the entertainment room where she was earlier. She turned on a nearby lamp and saw the heartless raiding her PS2 and putting the memory card in the case after some difficulty.  
The girl's eyes widened in shock and disbelief at the sight she saw before her. She just shook her head and mentally told herself this was a dream, after all, it was dark and she had been asleep for a small amount of time her eyes were very vulnerable to her somewhat conscious mind's tricks. She tied her loose hair back with a black elastic band from her right wrist and took a fighting stance with a smirk.  
"Put down my game now and I just might go easy on ya," she said calmly, but when the heartless saw her weapon they took it upon themselves to claim she was an enemy and started attacking her. She managed to block a few and even hit some against the wall with a muffled splat. But as more started to appear they pinned the struggling girl to the ground. The one with the game started to head back to Hallow Bastion, and when Toshiko saw this she swept all of her tiny attackers with her arm and lunged for the one disappearing followed by the others and all of them went through the portal. Toshiko struggled with the heartless and soon destroyed them all even though she had been falling the whole time.  
As she fell to what she thought would be her death her necklace started glowing and changed her. Her hair turned a deep shade of purple and was still tied back except for her face length bangs. A blue headband appeared in her hair and her shirt was changed into a blue zip-up tank top with a black V shaped neck line. The zipper part was bordered in black and her shorts changed into black skintight pants with a brown belt. Her feet had been covered with black, silver, and blue boots and her hands had been covered by brown leather gloves. The only thing that prevented her from screaming was her falling onto a sleeping Boogie Man and bouncing off onto the ground where her sword landed near by and the game landed to Riku's feet. She was gasping for air as she tried to stay calm and continue telling herself mentally that this was all just a dream. "But why did the fall hurt and the burlap feeling from whatever I landed on feel so real?" her mind asked.  
He picked up the game and looked inside. A smile appeared on his face as he showed it to Maleficent.  
"This one came with a card. This should be more useful than the others," he said while putting it into his huge pocket and then turned to the girl who was looking around in a mixture of shock and fear as the other villains made a semi-circle around her to prevent her from running away. "We just need to figure out what we should do with her," he finished before turning back to Maleficent. The girl had been watching him closely ever since he came close to her and watched as he made a smirk only she could see directed to her before Riku had completely turned and walked away from her.  
Maleficent looked at him as his string of commands was starting to get too long for her liking but showed no sign of it and stepped up to the girl.  
"What is your name?" she asked while cocking an eyebrow expecting a quick answer.  
"I-I-I'm, m-m-m-my n-name i-is-,"  
"Speak child!"  
"Ryo!" she shouted then paused in a moment's confusion on why she used that name in the first place.  
"Well then, mind explaining what brings you here and why I shouldn't dispose of you on the spot?" she asked while leaning over her some.  
Before she could answer she could hear laughter behind her, and when she turned around she saw Captain Hook dangling her sword from his hand.  
"Oh ho! What do we have here? Another one of those pretend heroes I see. And fighting with a toothpick none the less," he said.  
Without even thinking she scowled at him and shouted, "Unhand my sword this instant you codfish!"  
He straightened up a bit annoyed at this insult but tried to regain his confident posture. "And why should I, a proud captain of a shipload of blood-thirsty cut-throats, give a small child back her toy?" he replied while looking down at the pissed girl. She took a deep breathe and noticed everyone around her was enjoying this quarrel and waited to see what she would do. Ryo stood up straight and tall and looked at him closely.  
"Because where I come from I am known as a powerful sorceress and can summon anyone's greatest fear before them even if I have never met the person before I will still know it and call it here on the spot," she crossed her arms over her chest and showed no fear. Even if technically she didn't have any magical powers she could still try to out smart him. And after seeing his performance in both Peter Pan movies she knew that this would go well.  
Hook showed a little concern and glanced at everyone but looked back at the girl. "I highly doubt you could know my greatest fear, so go ahead. I dare you to," he said.  
"Fine," she said as she held up the charm from her necklace and started swinging it side-to-side like a pendulum while looking him in the eyes and slowly walked towards him.  
"Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock," she started chanting taking a step at each word. As she did this the jewel on her necklace started glowing pulling the captain into a light trance as images of crocodiles danced in his mind. The girl was a bit surprised at the glowing jewel but continued until the captain snapped out of it and tossed her sword on the ground near her feet.  
"This is just poppycock!" he exclaimed trying to regain his composer. "Now that we have what we've been searching for I'll be on my way," with that said with a hint of fear in his tone he turned around letting a small shiver go done his spine and left. The other villains either smirked or chuckled as they to left leaving Ryo who was picking up her sword with Maleficent and Riku to decide what they would do with her. The young girl gulped as she noticed this and slowly turned around and looked up at the older woman feeling very nervous all of a sudden. Riku had a very amused look on his face from watching Hook trying to remain his proud self but ended up looking like a fool in the end anyway.  
"Well now, that was an amusing show. I wouldn't have expected someone like you to stand up against him like that, but this shows us that you can be of some use to us," started Maleficent. "But first you will tell me where you got that necklace," and before the girl could even think, Maleficent walked up to her and took the sword and dragons charm in her hand and began to examine it.  
Ryo gasped at first but caught her shortened breathe and spoke up. "It was a gift, from a young dragon. I've had it since I was a child," she explained.  
Maleficent released her grip on the necklace and looked at the girl closely and examined her for a moment then curved her thin lips into a dark/slightly warm smile, well, as warm as ice can get if you want to put it theoretically.  
"I see. Now that you are here you will show us your video game and pinpoint where Sora is and help us prevent him from sealing the keyholes and you will also show us how we can capture the rest of the princesses," she finished.  
Ryo's eyes widened at her instructions not believing anything that was happening. "What?!" she shouted. "I mean, can't you do that already with that thing over there?" she asked pointing to a mirror like object parallel with the ground about 15 feet away.  
Maleficent looked over to the object and glared at the girl in curiosity. "How you could have known about that is something I will ask later. Besides, your game can show us the future, or at least 'it's' version of the future." She smiled and turned to the side to reveal the boy who was hidden behind her earlier. "Riku will direct you to the observation hall as I arrange a room for you."  
"A room?" she asked.  
"What? You rather prefer a cell? If you want that instead then by all means I will arrange for one," she started laughing as she saw the look on her face then continued. "We can't just let you go off now that you have seen Hallow Bastion. Besides, seeing as that you have some experience in swordsmanship you can assist Riku with his duties and fight the boy who is trying to stop us."  
"No," said Riku. "Leave him to me, she can just stay here for all I care, I can handle everything," he said.  
"Of course you can my boy, but it doesn't help to have some insurance now does it?"  
He just crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked away. "Fine, but don't you think it would be best if she went through some training before she starts fighting, besides, we've never seen her in a fight and she could suck for all we know," he said.  
"Hey! I was a top candidate to be a Dragon Valkyrie thank you very much, and don't I get a say in this since this is my fate we're talking about here?" she soon withdrew a little bit back into her silent shell as she saw the surprised and disturbed looks on their faces from her outburst but looked at Riku as he started laughing contently and walked up to her getting very close to her to make her feel intimidated. This just made her heart pound and blush in shock as she couldn't believe that Riku, a character from a videogame, was only inches from her face.  
"I don't know what a Dragon Valkyrie is and I don't really care at the moment. Just don't give me any trouble when you're with me and do as you're told when you are training under me," with that said he turned around and walked back to Maleficent.  
"Now that that is settled." she looked to Riku, "Riku, take her to the observation hall and set up for our viewing, I will arrange a room for our guest, but first," she took the sword from the girl's grip and ignored her attempts at verbal reactions. She held out the sword and it was soon engulfed in a dark green light. After a few seconds the light disappeared and the sword's form was changed entirely. It was a slender dragon wing similar to Riku's shadowblade only the edge was black and the sail was purple. The hilt was made of three black dragon horns that looked just like the ones one Maleficent's headdress. In the center of the hilt there was a green gem that resembled a dragon eye. After the transformation was complete she handed it back to Ryo who took it and stared at it in awe.  
"Here you are child, a gift from me," said Maleficent. Ryo looked up at her a bit confused and wondered what in Hell possessed Maleficent to do this for her and what the catch might be. "This will be more useful in this state unlike its previous form. Do everything Riku tells you until I return," after that she turned and headed upstairs to clear out a heartless filled room for her.  
"Well, now that you've got your weapon we can go," said Riku. He walked over to her and held out his hand and for the first time since she arrived smiled gently. "I'm Riku, sorry for the cold act before but I have a reputation to keep. I hope our partnership will go on to a good start." She was taken back a bit from this sudden changed and stared at him for a few seconds suspiciously; but she just smiled and blushed slightly as she shook his hand.  
"I'm Ryo; it's very interesting to meet you."  
"Interesting?"  
"I'll explain later."  
He smirked and shook his head. "Whatever," he looked around to make sure they weren't being watched and lowered his voice enough so that only Ryo could here. "Just to let you know, you should be careful around Maleficent. She's not exactly who I would call a trusting person. She may say there isn't a catch to her 'generosity' but I'm sure she has something up her sleeve that she's hiding from us."  
Ryo crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked at him skeptically. "Really, you didn't think I knew that? I may be new here but that doesn't mean I know nothing of this world or its people," she exclaimed with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "I've gotten far in the game so I know many things you wouldn't expect me to know," she said with a shrug and easy going tone.  
"Really? All right then, try me," he said.  
"I know why you are helping the villains. It's because of her. You care for her deeply and want her to have her heart back and you'd do anything to get it back to her, even if it means taking a chance with the darkness." She looked away feeling a bit uncomfortable with what she had said but allowed the silence in the air to remain until he would break it.  
He took a deep breath and turned from her not wanting to admit how right she was. He barely turned his head to look at her and say "Come on, I don't want to waste anymore time," he turned around and lead her to the hall. She stood still at first feeling sympathetic for him but as she followed him she smiled and thought, "Well, maybe this dream won't be so bad after all."  
  
When Maleficent returned she saw Ryo standing before a huge oval screen that was edged with a green magic aura with a controller in her hand. Riku was by her side watching everything closely making sure not to miss anything.  
"So what advantages do we have so far?" asked Maleficent with a thin smile.  
"We know what worlds Sora will go to and what order too. When he arrives at each one whichever one of the other villains dwells there will take care of him while Ryo and I settle other things that need to be taken care of," Riku said. Maleficent walked over to Ryo and could tell she wasn't happy with what she was doing. But since Ryo knew she had no other choice there was nothing she could do.  
"That will be enough for now. We all need our rest if we want to carry out our plans," said Maleficent. "But where will Sora be next?"  
"He will be swallowed by the giant whale Monstro, Pinocchio, the puppet Riku mentioned earlier will be there as well. When Sora and his," she paused looking a Riku for a second but continued, "friends arrive there we can abduct Pinocchio and use him to see if he has the key to finding Kairi's heart." she sighed knowing Sora would only stop them but looked up at Maleficent with a hopeful look in her eyes. "Can I stop now?" asked Ryo. Maleficent swiped her arm over the oval and it disappeared. Ryo watched as Maleficent put an arm around her shoulder and jumped at first then looked up at her after having dropped the controller.  
"Come, I will show you to your room," she turned and looked at Riku who nodded to her and he left as Maleficent started walking with the nervous girl to her room. "When I saw your necklace, I realized what potential you had," she continued.  
"Potential?" she asked.  
"I didn't mention it before but lately I've been considering acquiring an apprentice. Of course it will be awhile before I leave this world, or rather 'reality' and so far I have no one to continue in my footsteps. It would be a shame for such power to be gone due to some technicalities." When Maleficent looked down at the girl again she was a bit confused by what she was trying to mean by "technicalities". But the young girl's expression changed when she soon realized what she meant; after all, Maleficent technically didn't have any children so there was no one to succeed after her. (hmm, let's see how many more times I can say technically..*sees angry audience w/ weapons of slow and painful death* Or maybe not) "At first," she continued, "I thought Riku would have been a good choice but he just doesn't have what it takes to make a good sorcerer. He apparently dislikes me as well even after I had said he was like a son to me, but that feeling is starting to disappear, for now. But a sorceress would probably be a better choice," she looked down at her for her response.  
"Me? But I thought I was going to train with Riku to be a better swordswoman? Even though he hasn't seen what I've got." she mumbled.  
"Excuse me?"  
"Oh, n-nothing. And besides, what does my necklace have to do with my potential?"  
"You said you received it from a dragon am I right?"  
"Yes."  
"What color was it?"  
"Black." she paused for a moment thinking about Maleficent's alter ego but waited for her to speak again.  
"I see, black dragons have a special connection with magic. They are like guardians of a raw source of black magic. For one to have a connection with a black dragon is an amazing feat alone. That necklace the dragon gave you is a symbol of such magic and their loyal protection over you. If you were to receive this then you have the means of mastering black magic no matter how strong. It is fortunate for you that I, the Mistress of all Evil, am giving you an opportunity to master the most powerful of such black magic."  
The girl stopped immediately and looked at the ground trying to grasp for air after her shock. "Whoa, this dream is getting really too out of hand."  
"Dream?" she chuckled with a smile and stopped in front of the girl. "Apparently you must've hit your head when you had fallen. This is not a dream, this is very much real. Though I can understand with so many things happening at once it's no wonder you are confused."  
"What? But, this is so.so.well, it's just not possible for this to happen to me, so it must be a dream."  
"Fine, if you don't believe me why not find out for yourself," she smirked and said with a light chuckle "You could always see if you can feel pain if the landing didn't hurt, why not try pricking yourself and see if that hurts?"  
Ryo gave a nervous chuckle and responded with "No offense, but hearing that from you tells me that that would not be the best solution. If I were to do that then I might never wake up from my sleep heh heh." She gave a weak smile and noticed Maleficent knew exactly what she meant but was a little bit surprised.  
"You know about my curse even from your world?"  
"Yes, in fact I know the history of many of these worlds. In my world these were all movies made by or inspired by a man named Walt Disney. In my world we refer almost everything to his movies so my knowledge of your world and part of it's past can come to quite a shock. But what about my training with Riku?"  
"Well, you will train under Riku and I. For one to master magic and handle a sword is practically a person who can be invincible, if taught by the right people," she continued walking with Ryo and went up into a tower where she stopped at a door and pulling out a black key from an unseen pocket in the folds of her robes, unlocked it and opened it nudging Ryo inside the dimly lighted room. The girl turned around and could only see Maleficent's pale complexion and the dark glow from the crystal orb on her staff which crepted her out a little. "I'll give you until the morning for you to make your decision," her face changed to a smirk before she left and said with a dreadful tone of voice, "Pleasant dreams." she said as she closed the door. Ryo heard a click and instantly realized she had been locked in but was too tired at the moment to really care.  
Before she went to bed she walked over to the mirror and examined herself carefully. She looked from her reflection to herself and then back to the mirror. With her sword in hand she took off the glove on her other hand with her teeth and tossed it on the bed. The blade was held against a finger and made a slit causing Ryo to make a slightly hurt face and starred at the blood dripping down her finger before sucking it up. She looked at her finger again and could feel the throbbing pain in it. Soon a loud scream could be heard through out the halls of Hallow Bastion. It made Maleficent stop in her tracks and she couldn't help but smile realizing the girl finally came to realize her theory was wrong and resumed walking to her room. Riku who knew which room the scream came from went to Ryo's door and pressed his ear against it and listened after his attempts to go in failed.  
"This can't be happening!" said the voice. "But this isn't dream! Why did I change? This isn't who I am; this is a character I made up. Why am I even here? Why am I even helping bad guys? Who am I talking to? It's not like anyone is listening to me. But why did I change?" Ryo paced in her room and dug her hands into her pockets. She stopped when her hand felt something even through her gloved hand and pulled out a piece of folded paper and opened it to see what was in it. There was a picture of her, the old her, in it. She was standing slightly slouched with her hands on her hips smirking at the viewer.  
"This is the drawing I made in class! At least the pose is the same, but that's the real me in there instead of -...I think I understand now.but then again.." She sighed and smirked shaking her head from side to side. "And to think I even got a stupid cartoon crush on." she shook her head again and sighed. "Well, at least I understand now, I think. I better get some sleep, last time I checked it was probably 3 in the morning," she yawned and took off her head band, gloves, boots, belt, bra, and took out the elastic band holding her hair back and put it on the nightstand next to her bed and climbed under the covers of the clothe and fur bed and thought "Maybe when I wake up I'll be back in the orphanage with those other girls and this will all go away..maybe." she fell asleep after looking out the window and feeling relieved from seeing the same night sky she did in her home world.  
Riku had started heading back to his room and right before he fell asleep he thought out loud, "What the heck is a cartoon crush?"  
  
^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^#^# ^#^#^#^#^#^# Yeah, I know, this chapter is much longer than the first one, well to me at least. Not much to say right now except for the usual plead for reviews and my threats to stalk and plague those who have read but didn't review..or was it I was going to send something else to stalk them and infect their computers?...I know! I'll do both! MUWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!......uhh h, yeah..*yawns* Ok, small excuse for brain needs sleepy time now goodnight minna-san! *falls over on a randomly placed air mattress and falls asleep* mmmmmm, comfffffyyyyyyyyyyy.... 


	3. In the Belly of the Beast and all the An...

Author's Notes: Again, I don't own anything or anyone except Ryo. Ryo is not actually me, just to set things straight. I was running out of names on made-up characters so I just decided to use my own.yeeeaaaahhhh.Ok, on with the story. *(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*( *)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*)*(*  
  
Chapter 3: In the Belly of the Beast and the Annoying Chambers  
  
When Ryo woke up the next morning she stretched her arms above her head and looked out the window. She smiled seeing the rising sun but her face twisted into one of bedazzlement as the sky was unusually darker then she had remembered. The girl got dressed and looked around the room and then to the finger she had cut the night before and rubbed the edge of her thumbnail against the some-what healed cut and sighed as the pain was rekindled in her finger. Her stomach started growling and she instinctively new she was hungry even though she didn't need to hear the rumbling to be reminded of that.  
Just as she was about to open the door she stopped and thought back to last night and tried to open the door. Locked. Ryo sighed realizing there wasn't much hope for leaving until she heard the clicking of the gears announcing the chance for her to leave. But as soon as she reached for the handle there was a knock at the door so Ryo automatically opened the door and looked up seeing Maleficent standing before her. The girl gulped giving a nervous smile and said, "Uh, good morning."  
"No need to be nervous around me, Ryo. I only came to see if you wanted breakfast," said Maleficent.  
"Oh, well, I'm glad you came. After all, if you didn't come then I may have never been able to leave heh heh," replied Ryo trying hard not to sound nervous even though it stuck out like a school's most popular preppy like person at a party of the school's losers and their fellow loser friends. (I am a loser so I am aloud to say these things *sees ::ahem:: NON loser friends ready to kill author* Ummm, I never said I had loser friends so you can't be mad at me, besides, some of you have admitted it so don't blame me! * hides in back of author's school's band room to continue since it's one her last sanctuaries* On with the fic!)  
"I only locked it so as to make sure you wouldn't run away," replied Maleficent with an eerily calm and not offended tone of voice.  
Ryo's face quickly turned a scarlet shade as her stomach let out a loud roar of hunger. The girl looked up at the evil fairy's amused expression. "Uh, breakfast really sounds good now. What is there anyway?" she asked. The girl wasn't sure what most Disney villains ate and she was hoping that it wasn't anything too disturbing. Then again this "world" was mostly thought up from Disney so it could either be something so amazingly good she could just die, or something so revolting just tasting it could kill her.  
"I will take you to your meal as soon as you answer my question from the previous night," the sorceress said while looking down upon the girl.  
"Oh, well I've been thinking about that. Knowing how my situation is now I suppose that if you insist in my need for training so much I don't really see why not, or why at all," Ryo said sounding more confused at the end still trying to think of how and why all of this was happening, especially to her.  
"My dear, you say it in such a way it makes one think you are being pressured, I only want what's best for you," replied an unusually shocked Maleficent. She looked at Ryo and was given a skeptical look mixed with suspicion. "I can understand that we have only met and such kindness would not be expected from one such as myself, but you will see in do time I am telling the truth," she added.  
"Well, alright, but may I ask why?" requested the girl.  
"In order to win trust one must give to show that that particular person can be trustworthy doesn't she?"  
"It does make some sense, but knowing you, this is a bit much and."  
"And?"  
"Well, I heard that you do indeed know everything, except for a few things, one of them being kindness."  
The evil fairy pondered for a brief moment about this statement and recalled that the girl said that the life of the princess whom she had cursed was turned into a movie, therefore Ryo would without a doubt know about those pathetic good fairies. The fact that was a complement and an insult at the same time could only mean that Fauna was the one who made the remark. Maleficent took this into consideration and let out a small chuckle.  
"Ryo, when you heard that information it was a part of me that is now changed, besides, I do indeed knew of such a sign of 'affection,' I just chose not to show it. Besides, when people refuse to accept my kindness it makes it seem as though I don't give it to them."  
"You mean Riku? I can understand him, but-" Ryo stopped mid sentence as her face turned red again due to another loud roar from her stomach. Maleficent looked at her annoyed at the interruption at first but lightened up a bit as she placed her hand on the girl's back and started walking with her.  
As Maleficent guided the young girl to the dining hall which surprised her since she never remembered it from the game, she saw Riku sitting at a rectangular shaped table with candles to light up the dark room even though the sun was completely out by now. But since the room had no windows like many of the other rooms the candles were desperately needed. Unless of course the people eating either had a high tolerance to pain, had no feeling in their arms and hands, were masochists, or didn't mind constantly cutting and stabbing themselves with their utensils then the light wasn't that badly needed.  
Ryo was nudged to the seat next to Riku where like before him, there was a plate filled with eggs, ham, pancakes with syrup, and a glass of milk on the side along with toast, butter, and various jams. The girl looked in awe at what was displayed before her but quickly remembered her manners and looked over to Riku who was trying to hide the fact that he had been watching her.  
"Good morning, Riku," greeted Ryo with a warm smile.  
"Hey," he said giving a half-hearted wave before he picked up his fork and started to eat his food.  
She just shrugged and immediately absorbed herself in eating the food. It was so delicious to her dancing taste buds. Everything was cooked just to her liking as her mind wandered to the ends of her imagination as to how such wonderful food could be in a video game, of course this did make the girl stop to think for a moment. One thing was that she was dining with the forces of evil and evil usually did have the best of some things because, well, because they were evil. Another possibility was that the amazing taste could have been there to distract her from the possibility of the food being poisoned.  
When this came across her mind she looked around to see how much she ate hoping there wouldn't have been that much of the deadly substance running through her system. Ryo had eaten five helpings of everything and unconsciously almost ate things off of Riku's plate if he hadn't have scooted his chair away from her to the other end of the table. Another thing she noticed was that not only was he away from her but he was starring at her; but not like before. He was staring at her in a scared type of amazement from the fact that she had eaten so much, so fast, and without a moment's hesitation because of the thought that was now plaguing her mind.  
Maleficent was also giving her a similar stare. The room was filled with that usual awkward silence as the two people just stared at the girl who was frozen in her seat looking down at her plate. Ryo looked up as she heard Maleficent chuckling. Ryo looked over to her right and saw Riku trying to hide his snickering with his hand. The girl thought for a second and started laughing as well. Then she stopped suddenly recalling a similar situation and looked over at Maleficent who stopped after awhile and looked at the young girl questionably as to why she became quiet all of the sudden.  
Ryo, who saw this look, cleared her throat and simply said "Well, to put it in one way.cradle," was all that she said. Maleficent's eyes just widened as she heard that cursed word that caused her so much anger after sixteen years then started to cackle. Ryo who was still a little scared just chuckled lightly to herself as the boy just stared at them as if they were two unexplainable psychotic things. This in some ways was true. Riku was always suspicious of Maleficent's psychological capabilities but since he didn't know the girl for awhile and was still in the midst of judging her character he was debating if this partnership was going to be a good thing.  
All of these thoughts were erased when Ryo leaned into his side and whispered in to his ear: "Another thing I will explain later."  
"Now that we are done we shall prepare for your first mission together," said the now calm Maleficent.  
"Together?" questioned Riku. "But we haven't even begun her training. What good will she be in a fight?" said Riku who was without a doubt annoyed at this as Ryo was annoyed at the lack of confidence he had in her.  
"Do not worry, Riku, there will not be much need of a fight. After all, the boy Sora still thinks you are his friend and so you will not need to fight him," replied the evil fairy.  
"But we will have to fight that heartless there won't we?" asked Ryo. Riku was now confused but looked back to Maleficent for an answer.  
"That is correct. Though it is not that strong and you will not have to fight it for long. I trust you should at least be able to handle it Ryo?"  
"Of course I can. I've done it before and I can do it again."  
"But the first time was only from a controller, this is the real thing," said Riku.  
Without any notice Maleficent stood and swung her staff around opening a black portal. "It is best that the two of you leave now. I will come by later to see how you are handling things together," she said.  
Riku looked over to Ryo as he stood up. He walked over to her later and grabbed her by the wrist and started guiding the struggling girl to the portal.  
  
In the dim-lighted mouth of Monstro, Pinocchio was wandering around near the entrance to the chambers. He took a peek inside and went in. On the other side of the chambers Ryo was sitting on a barrel and Riku was pacing back and forth.  
"Why are you so nervous?" she asked.  
"I'm not nervous, just a little anxious; that's all," he exclaimed. "I want to get this done soon and go save Kairi."  
"Could you at least stop pacing around like that? It's driving me insane," she said.  
"Sorry," replied the boy as he took a deep breathe and sat on the barrel next to her's. "You said you were going to explain some things to me?" he asked.  
"Hm? Ah, those things, alright. What was the first one again?"  
"You mentioned it was interesting to meet me, but I don't think I need you to explain that one. After all, we're two people from two completely different worlds, and I'm just some character in a game."  
"I wouldn't put it that way. We're partners now, I can't do that with 'just some character,' so we're like friends now, right?"  
"Yeah, I guess so, but you need to be careful on whom you want your friends to be, they could stab you in the back."  
"Sora didn't ditch you for Donald and Goofy, besides weren't you the one who left him when he was talking to you?" she asked. Riku just looked at her a bit annoyed but took a deep breathe and stared at the ground and responded by saying: "It doesn't matter."  
He looked up at her after a few seconds to ask his next question. "So what was that whole demented laughter thing back there? What does a cradle have to do with anything?"  
"That, well you see back in Maleficent's world she had cursed the Princess Aurora when she was a baby with this whole prophecy thing that she would prick her finger before she turned 16 and die. Maleficent had set out her minions to look for the baby after she had mysteriously disappeared and when she asked her goons why they hadn't found her after the 16 years were almost up they said they couldn't find her after searching all the cradles.for the whole time," Ryo explained sounding a bit annoyed just from mentioning such stupidity.  
"Man, she must be glad she has control over the heartless now, but that doesn't explain the laughing part," he mentioned.  
"Well, to quote: 'You mean to tell me you've been searching sixteen years for a baby?'" Ryo then started to laugh just like Maleficent did almost perfectly, of course her voice was a little higher than the fairy's but the accuracy was still scary. "Fools!" she continued, "IDIOTS! IMBOSILES!" she exclaimed while pretending to smite all the minions with a pretend staff in her hand.  
Riku started laughing at her imitation, not because it sucked, but because the event itself was humorous. When Ryo looked over to him she smiled feeling glad she was able to ease him from his previous edginess. He stopped a little while later and noticed she was watching him. This caused her to blush and look away quickly feeling embarrassed until he said something.  
"By the way, thanks for being my friend," said Riku with a gentle smile. The way his words had come out soft and sincere were comforting to her and made her smile when she looked at him again. Ryo noticed that both of them were leaning slightly towards each other which had made her heart start racing. Before she could lean towards him even more hoping her wonderful dream would come true something could be heard from a few chambers away. Ryo sighed in aggravation and looked around. She stared out the exit of the chamber they were in to one it was connected to.  
"I think I hear something-"  
"It's him!" Riku took off to the exit and started going through the other chambers.  
"Wait!" shouted Ryo as she jumped off from her seat and ran after him. She stopped when she saw Riku towering over the small puppet who was just looking up at him with a big smile.  
"You," started Riku, "will come with me."  
"Are you going to play a game with me?" asked Pinocchio.  
The boy just smirked and took him by the wrist like he had done with Ryo earlier. His grip was overpowering and it was twisting the wooden wrist so hard it was actually hurting Pinocchio as he started dragging the resisting puppet towards Ryo.  
"No! Stop that! You're hurting me let go!" shouted the puppet but his protest was to no avail.  
"Riku, stop that," said Ryo. "Can't you see he's in pain? You need to be gentler." Without warning the puppet bit the boy on the wrist and ran of as Riku clutched it in his other hand and practically snarled at the pain and watched the puppet run off. "See what I mean?" said the girl as she folded her arms over her chest with the typical "I told you so" look.  
"Then maybe you would like to go after him?" Riku replied while trying to hold back his anger.  
"All right then, I will," said Ryo, but just as she had started walking towards the chamber's exit everything around them shifted causing them to fall over. Riku dug his fingers in the soft but firm wall of the chamber and grabbed Ryo's hand as she fell past him. This grip was different from before; it was gentle and reassuring to the girl who at first feared for her life but was now just a little nervous hanging there with only Riku to keep her from falling.  
"What was that?" gasped Ryo.  
"Something tells me our guests have arrived," Riku replied as he looked back down at the girl. The whale shifted again and with the center of gravity changing this caused Riku to lose his grip in the wall and he fell along with her. After both had let out there shouts of surprise and pain Riku had been trying to get up but couldn't. When his vision cleared up he saw Ryo lying diagonally on top of him with her head next to the side of his. She started to come to after her slight stage of shock and looked around stopping when she saw him. Their gazes were locked for only a few seconds that seemed like a few hours until she got off of him with much haste and looked away in an attempt to hide her blushing while he sat up and looked away also.  
"I'm sorry," she started, "I hit my head and so I, what I mean is I.Thank you for grabbing me back there," after saying that she was mentally cursing herself out for sounding so stupid and acting like the type of girls she resented.  
"That's okay, I just wanted to make you sure you didn't get hurt before we even started our mission. You aren't though, right? Hurt I mean," he glanced over to her but didn't want to fully face her since he personally thought he sounded like the biggest idiot in all that existed, at least compared to how he normally acts.  
"No I'm fine, thanks for asking," she said while rising to her feet. After brushing herself off she turned around and held her hand out to Riku with a warm smile. He looked at her deep blue eyes that reminded him of the twilight sky but lightly knocked her hand aside as he got up and rested his hands on his hips looking at the ground away from her. "I don't need you're help," he said, "I just need you to go and get 'it'."  
She huffed before glaring at him even if he couldn't see it. As she started walking to the exit she stopped and turned her head towards him and said, "If you don't allow people to help you out of the darkness, then you will never find your light," with that said and done she continued to walk to the mouth. He turned around to make a retort to what she said but she was long gone.  
Pinocchio was hanging around Sora and his friends as they talked with Gheppeto. He could hear a whisper from behind him and when he turned around he saw a figure hiding in the shadows of the chamber entrance. The young puppet was scared at first thinking it was Riku but when he heard a young girl's voice instead he was curious and started to waddle over to it.  
"Who are you?" he asked.  
"Shhh, I'll play with you if you promise to come with me," said the kind voice.  
"I don't know, I got hurt last time I tried to play with some one."  
"I'm sorry for the way he treated you, I promise he'll be good and even apologize. My name is Ryo, what's yours?"  
"I'm Pinocchio. Will you really play with me?"  
"Of course I will, I promise."  
"Goody!" he shouted as he ran into the shadows to play with his new friend.  
After a few minutes Sora and everyone noticed Pinocchio was missing. Sora was worried for the young puppet and promised to find him after its father had asked him to. The trio fought many heartless as they made their way through the many twisting and mesmerizing chambers. But as the group got closer, so did Pinocchio's friendship and trust get close to Ryo.  
"Tag, you're it!" shouted Pinocchio as he ran and hid behind Ryo. Riku, who was now the one proclaimed as "it" rolled his ice blue orbs in annoyance but stiffened a smile and chased after the wooden puppet. "No tag backs," he exclaimed.  
"Oh really?" replied Riku as he gave a sly smile over to Ryo. The girl smirked and jumped onto one of the ledges that stuck out from the higher parts of the walls and said, "You'll have to catch me first," the moment she ended her sentence Riku had joined her on the ledge and soon started chasing her as she hopped around the chamber laughing in delight. Pinocchio watched and giggled as he saw Riku bouncing on crates and barrels to try to catch up to Ryo. The girl had to stop for a moment and regain her breathe. When she tried to move again she was stopped by a force behind her. She turned around and saw Riku holding onto her hand. "Gotcha," he said with a triumphant smirk. Ryo looked at him in shock at first then let out a short chuckle and smiled shaking her head from side to side.  
"Guess I lost," she said while looking at the ground.  
"For now, we'll see how good you do in a fight, and then we'll see if you really lost," he replied while giving her one of his rare warm smiles. She looked up then blushed as she saw he was still holding her hand. Riku was starting to blush as he let go not realizing he had held it for so long; neither one had said anything until the awkward silence was broken by another voice.  
"Can we play a different game now? I'm bored," said Pinocchio.  
"I have an idea, how about we play hide-and-go-seek?" suggested Riku.  
  
"I give up!" squawked Donald. "There is no way of finding him with all these different chambers and all of these doors," said the angered duck as he looked at his two friends to see what their feelings were.  
"Now Donald, you just need to be patient. I'm sure we'll find him if we just keep looking, isn't that right Sora?" asked Goofy.  
"Of course, besides I have a feeling about this next chamber. Are you ready Donald?" asked Sora.  
"Aw phooey," exclaimed the mage as he walked along with his friends into the next and hopefully last chamber. As they entered they found Pinocchio in the chamber who was hiding behind a barrel.  
"What are you doing there Pinocchio?" asked Sora.  
"Hiding," replied the small wooden puppet.  
"Why are you doing that?" the boy asked.  
"Because it's part of the game."  
"This is no time for games Pinocchio, don't you know how worried your father is right now?" replied the angered Sora. Before Pinocchio could respond a voice came from above them.  
"What's the matter Sora, I thought you liked games?" said Riku from behind the puppet. Ryo stepped up and stood in the shadows uncomfortable with the atmosphere and not liking what she knew was going to happen next.  
"Riku, what're you doing? We have to bring Pinocchio back," explained Sora.  
"There's nothing wrong with playing games. Come on Pinocchio, let's go and hide some more," Riku said. The puppet looked at him then to Sora, Donald and Goofy. Riku looked over to Ryo as if she could command him to come and that he was telling her to do so. The girl sighed and walked over to the puppet and held out her hand. "Let's go Pinoc, I know of a better place to play," she said with a gentle tone of voice.  
"Wait, who are you?" asked Sora. "What are you going to do with him?"  
Pinocchio took the girl's hand and she looked over to Sora and without anyone but her and Sora noticing, mouthed the words, "I'm sorry." Riku, Ryo and Pinocchio would have disappeared into the depths of the whale's stomach except Sora shouted out another question.  
"Wait, where's Kairi?!" he bellowed. Riku turned around and looked at his rival with a smirk across his face.  
"Catch us and maybe we'll tell you," as soon as he said that he turned around and went on with Ryo and Pinocchio close behind.  
"Why do you still care about that boy? He has all but deserted you for the Keyblade and his new companions, after all," came a familiar voice.  
"I don't care about him. I was just messing with him a little," replied Riku as he looked at Maleficent.  
"Oh, really? Of course you were. Beware the darkness in your heart. The Heartless prey upon it," replied the dark fairy who to his surprised to hear so much caution in her words.  
"Mind your own business," he replied before being somewhat scolded from Ryo.  
"She has a point you know," said Ryo. She notice Maleficent giving her a thoughtful smile before she disappeared through a portal.  
"Why did you say that?" asked an annoyed Riku.  
"Am I right?"  
"I just don't like to be reminded twice in one day. Sora's coming, take Pinocchio to the Bowels, I'll handle the others."  
Ryo sighed and did as she was told as Sora and everyone arrived just as she left.  
"Riku! What's the matter with you? What are you thinking? Don't you realize what you're doing?" shouted a shocked Sora.  
"I was about to ask you the same thing, Sora. You only seem interested in running around and showing off that Keyblade these days. Do you even want to save Kairi?" asked Riku.  
"I do," he said as Riku disappears and follows.  
By the time Sora and his friends reached the other group they found Pinocchio trapped in a giant cage-like heartless. Sora's eyes widened in shock before he drew out his keyblade ready to fight the fiend. "Come on, we have to save him!" shouted Sora as he, with Donald and Goofy right behind him charged at the blue monster. Ryo looked over to Riku who just smirked and joined in the fight with his shadowblade. The young girl sighed and took out her dragonblade and leaped into battle.  
The heartless was hard to fight at first because of the two tentacles it had on the sides that swung wildly and unpredictably. Every now and then Riku would look to see how Ryo was doing in the fight. She was marvelous compared to what he had imagined. The girl fought with out fear but with caution so as not to take any major damage. She saw most of the good openings to strike but her speed and hand-eye coordination was something that would need work. Other than that she was a pretty decent fighter.  
It didn't take to long for the heartless to grow tired. When it thought its defeat was near it dropped the weak Pinocchio to the side and climbed up high into the throat of the whale. Pinocchio was being swallowed into a pit and the five fighters jumped in only to end up back the Mouth.  
Sora looked around and saw Riku and Ryo on the top ledge with an unconscious Pinocchio under Riku's arm.  
"Pinocchio! Pinocchio! Please! Give me back my son!" pleaded Geppetto.  
"Sorry old man. I have some unfinished business with this puppet," replied Riku. Ryo was staying out of this conversation as the guilt rested on her shoulders like a giant block of cement with dancing elephants upon it.  
"He's no puppet! Pinocchio is my little boy!" exclaimed Geppetto once more.  
"He is unusual. Not many puppets have hearts. I'm not sure, but maybe he can help someone who's lost theirs," he replied.  
"Wait a minute. Are you talking about Kairi?" asked a confused Sora.  
"What do you care about her?" asked Riku. Before Sora could respond Ryo and Riku get away to the stomach where they are found by Sora and his gain.  
"Let Pinocchio go Riku," said Sora.  
"A puppet that's lost its heart to the Heartless... Maybe it holds the key to helping Kairi. How about it, Sora? Let's join forces to save her. We can do it, together," Riku proposed. His only answer was Sora drawing his keyblade.  
"What, you rather fight me? Over a puppet that has lost his heart?" asked a smug Riku. Ryo was trying not to pay attention just stood in the shadows as this familiar scene replayed in her mind. As they continue to talk she mouths the words perfectly. She turned around after hearing Pinocchio say he wasn't going to make it and smirked as his nose grew in his surprise.  
"Hey, I guess I'm ok!" said a relived Pinocchio. Soon the heartless reappears onto the ground from mid air letting Riku and Ryo escape through a portal with out the thing they had came for. It wasn't long before Sora defeated the heartless however.  
With Pinocchio reunited with his father and with the help of Sora and his friends they were able to head over to Traverse Town where they would start a new life together. However, as things were going pretty well for Sora and his new friends, things weren't going to well with Riku.  
"Damn it!" shouted Riku, "I can't believe I lost to him again. Now I might never find a way to get Kairi's heart back." Riku was storming all around the halls of the commandeered castle. Ryo was leaning against a wall watching him. She felt sorry for him but wish he would just stop; this was really starting to get on her nerves.  
"Look," she started with as much calmness in her voice as she could muster, "alright, so you didn't win this time; but that doesn't mean you don't have a chance at finding another way to get Kairi's heart back the next time?" she asked while emphasizing her point visually with her arms.  
"It's not just that," he said while trying to calm down.  
"Is it because you lost to Sora, again?" she asked while following him with her eyes.  
"Stop trying to understand me; just because you've played some stupid game that might have given you some little idea on how are lives might be and how we might feel; but that's all they are, ideas," he sighed and leaned against the wall opposite of her and stared at the ground.  
"That doesn't mean I can't relate to you though."  
He looked up somewhat curious as to what she was saying. "Always second best," she continued," never able to match up to everyone's favorite." she sighed and started walking away. "I'm a little tired. I'm going to go to my room and rest," she said slowly showing she was indeed tired and started to walk away.  
"I'll let you know when your training starts," he said all of a sudden. She turned around seeing if he had anything else to say. "You have some good moves, they just need a lot of cleaning up; well, see ya," he waved and walked away from her to start training on his own as she continued to her room. Maleficent had been observing from a far and smirked as she went to her room to continue work on her evil scheme.  
  
/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/! \!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\!/!\! /!\!/!\!/!\!/!  
  
Yay! I have another chapter done!!!......By the way, I've noticed that only one person has reviewed, and that is my dear school/best friend Shimi. Where are my lazy puchuus and care bear viruses!? Why aren't they doing their job? *looks around and sees them lying around watching The Simpsons* Hey deadbeats! Get to work! *Random puchuu w/ doughnut in mouth* D'oh! I mean Pu! 


	4. The Training

Author's Note: Yay! I'm on chapter 4!!!...Ok enough of that, you probably want me to start with the next chapter now don't you? Even though I haven't had that many reviewers..*mumbles under breathe* *::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::* ::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*::*  
  
Chapter 4: The Training  
  
Ryo walked into her room after climbing the flight of stairs and collapsed on her bed with her head in the pillow. She was so tired she didn't even bother moving her face so she could continue the redundancy of breathing. But the little task to survive finally got the best of her and she flipped onto her back and took a huge breathe. Wyverns were soaring outside her window up and around all of the castle's outer twists and turns. As she saw this she remembered how sad she felt each time she had to fight one in the game because they reminded her so much of the dragons she grew up loving and cherishing. A smile appeared on her face as she remembered the one dragon, yes, the one that had looked after her right after the horrible night when that turned the course of her life completely around. But enough walking down the long road of memories, it was time for sleep. Ryo turned to face the window completely and right before she fell asleep after closing her eyes she took a deep breathe and sighed, "Malicima."  
  
Riku was in a huge room that seemed like it could go on forever. There was a dark purple door about 25 feet away from him as he swung his shadowblade around causing it to release slashes of energy out into the unknown. He stopped for a moment feeling a presence behind him but didn't even bother turning around to acknowledge it. "What do you want?" Riku asked in an annoyed tone.  
  
"I can see your mission didn't go exactly as you planned," stated Maleficent who was standing in front of the door. Riku sighed and took a moment to cool down from his angered moment at the evil fairy's understatement.  
  
"Look it wasn't my fault," he started hastily, "the puppet escaped when I wasn't looking and-" he sighed and hung his head while shaking it side to side. "Look I'll just have to find some other way, that's all.  
  
"Of course you will, I trust you will find it soon though," she said while lifting an eyebrow hoping he would. "Well, since you are here I will send Ryo down shortly so you can begin her training," said Maleficent with an unusual smile for such news.  
  
"Fine, just send her here with that sword you gave her and we can begin," he said as he turned around to resume his training.  
  
Later on Ryo was sent to the huge room as Riku was taking a break so he would have enough strength to help her. He watched her enter and waited for the door to close behind her before he would say anything. The boy jumped up and strode over to her.  
  
"So where shall we start?" she asked as she held her sword over her right shoulder.  
  
"I thought we would start with some sparring, then after I see what you need work with we'll just work on those, okay?" he replied.  
  
She nodded her head and drew her dragonblade in front of her ready to start. Riku did the same and looked deep into her eyes to see if he could tell what was going on through her mind. He saw she was very determined, but not just that; it was as if there was a fire in her eyes burning from everything she had grown to fight for, and this was one of them. He could see she was doing this to prove herself, to show she was defiantly not a push over. Riku took a deep breathe and without warning charged at her while giving a barbaric-like cry. She did the same and the two were immediately engaged in combat.  
  
The two would charge at each other clanging their blades against one another's and try to push the other back. He was surprised at her strength not expecting a girl with such a mediocre frame to be so powerful. But he could still manage to push her back just enough to take a step back and try to hit her again hoping he would be faster than her but she saw through this and blocked again. Riku could see the smirk on her face and gritted his teeth not liking having another worthy opponent, but as he thought of this he noticed he didn't mind this new challenge being her, in fact he was glad she was a challenge.  
  
"You're holding back!" yelled Ryo.  
  
"So what if I am?"  
  
"Just don't," she said flatly as she tried to get another hit in. He dodged just in time and used Strike Raid causing his blade to fly at her and return to his hand after it hit her giving him time for another strike. The blunt end of the blade hit her face but enough to cause her to bleed. She didn't even hesitate enough to show she felt the pain in her cheek and continued to fight. The boy smiled at her concentration and continued until both of them were too worn down to even lift up their swords.  
  
They kept one another's gaze as they stood slumped over across from each other gasping for air. After a few moments Ryo's expression changed to one of confusion as Riku started laughing hysterically. The girl slowly walked over to him to see what was wrong but when he looked up at her still laughing all she could do was the same. As soon as they started to calm down a soldier heartless entered carrying a tray of food for them. After the two took what they wanted the small mindless pawn disappeared with the tray as Riku and Ryo sat down for their break.  
  
"That was pretty good," said Riku after taking a bite from his sandwich.  
  
'Thanks," replied Ryo just before she took a bite from hers. She thought for a moment and looked over to Riku. "Man, you guys have it pretty easy here, but it's kinda weird to use the fiends that you use to fight to bring you food," she said with an anime sweat drop.  
  
"Yeah, I guess so, but you get use to it. Where did you learn to fight like that anyway?"  
  
"Well, I've always wanted to be a dragon valkyrie so I would go to the training academy after school and I became a cadet, and I've been doing it until a few days ago," she said as she looked into her cup of water staring at her reflection.  
  
"But you didn't come until yesterday," he looked at her intently waiting to hear her reply. "Well, I couldn't go the day before because I had after school detention," she sighed and looked over to him.  
  
"What's detention?" he asked.  
  
"It's a punishment students get for various things; either you stay in the classroom during lunch or after school," she saw the look of bedazzlement on his face and chuckled. "I'm sorry, I forgot, you've never heard of any of those things have you? Well, a school, is a place children go to ever since they're about 4 years old until they're about 18 to learn almost everything you need for life.and then a bunch of crap you're never going to use but they make you study anyway," she added with a smile to lighten the mood.  
  
"Heh, all right, so what did you do to make you stay after school?" he said still smirking.  
  
"Oh, well, I got in this fight in class with this girl," she took a deep breathe and scowled as she thought of the one person who played a great deal in making her life a living Hell. "Her name is Arora; she's this prissy snot-nosed girl I went to school with. We always fought and since she was the daughter of one of the most financially powerful men ever she never got in trouble and it will all just go on top of me," she looked over to him and was surprised to see him snickering, "what's so funny?" she asked.  
  
"You said her name was Arora?" he said while keeping a smile on his face. (by the way, this spelling of the name is the Japanese spelling which is the one I intended to use, just thought you should know) She smirked and shook her head and looked up at him realizing the humor in this coincidence. "To make it worse classmates would even call me Maleficent just because of the other girl's name; guess they thought it was clever or something," she chuckled slightly as she smiled at him after the remark. Ryo tried to hide her blushing when she saw he was smiling back.  
  
The two continued to talk for awhile until the training resumed. After a few hours Riku thought it was getting late and decided they should get some rest for tomorrow. Ryo was walking to her room deep in thought. "Riku is a lot friendlier then I had imagined," she thought, "He is unpredictable also, of course I have only known him for a day.but I have also seen how he reacts through the game," she sighed as she started climbing the stairs to her room. "But then again he has been really nice to me, whenever he isn't being as bossy as Hell," her train of thought continued, "It was weird when he was smiling earlier, it almost seemed like he has a crush on me or something.Erg, what am I thinking? Besides, he likes Kairi so there is no way he can get a crush on anyone else, no, no, no!" she sighed again as she entered her room and prepared for bed. She looked out the window as she lied in bed and smiled as she watched the wyvern and other heartless prepare for the night as well.  
  
When Ryo got up she wandered around Hallow Bastion taking in the sights she didn't have much of a chance to see through the game. She was about to enter the main hall when she suddenly froze, there in chambers were the captured princesses. She slowly entered and lingered around as she stared at everything around her. Ryo almost continued if it wasn't for the hand on her shoulder. Maleficent was standing behind her and looking down on her.  
  
"Oh, is there another mission you want me and Riku to do?" she asked as a matter of fact.  
  
"Actually I stopped by to see if you were ready to start your magic training," she replied with a similar tone of voice.  
  
"All right then, but where will we train?" the young girl asked. She looked behind her teacher to see a random door appeared ready to be opened.  
  
"That door will take us to our magic training room. After you my dear," stated Maleficent with a smile that deeply disturbed the girl who was good at not showing it.  
  
Ryo followed Maleficent to the large dark room; these dark rooms were starting to get on her nerves even if she expected them. In the center of the floor there was a huge circular glyph on the ground illuminating the room with a dark green light. The girl looked up at the evil fairy who nodded and watched as the girl stood in the center of the glyph.  
  
"What do I do now?" asked Ryo.  
  
"First I shall explain. Everyone is capable of learning magic really, but only those who can break their magic barrier can learn it," she was walking around the girl as she spoke and looking upon her now and then.  
  
"So I need to break mine, correct?" responded the disoriented girl as she tried to follow Maleficent with her eyes.  
  
"Yes, now first I need you to hold your arms out in front of you and close your eyes," Maleficent continued. She watched as the girl did as she as told and kept her arms parallel with the floor. "Now it's my turn," after that said Maleficent held her hand above the girl's head and a blue aura surrounded the apprentice. "Can you feel something growing inside of you? Like a fire ready to be released through every fiber of your being?" asked the now enthusiastic teacher.  
  
"Yes," responded the apprentice, "it's really hot, I want to let it go but I don't know how," the girl was now starting to sweat and wincing now and then over the extreme heat building inside of her. The glyph under the girl was staring to glow brighter. A blue flame was starting to emerge in the palm of her hands though it was flickering wildly.  
  
"Good, good. Now capture the flame and control it, master it," demanded the teacher. She watched as the girl clenched her teeth doing everything she could to command the raging inferno. Ryo's perspiration increased and she gasped before the flames in her hands grew rapidly then diminished before she fell to her hands and knees gasping for air. The outer rim of the glyph caught on fire scaring the young apprentice at first until it disappeared. "Excellent Ryo," Maleficent commended, "You have just mastered the art of fire, after you master the others I will work with you to strengthen them," she said as she walked over and looked upon the panting girl.  
  
Ryo looked up at her then noticed Maleficent had her hand held out for her. The girl looked at it for a second and got up on her own. She noticed the smile on her teacher's face and she gave a weak smile back. "Good," started Maleficent, "Shall we continue?" she asked. After her question was acknowledged with a nod of her head Maleficent continued. "Now, let us move onto the power of ice."  
  
For the next couple of days Ryo trained with her two teachers and she would show them Sora's path. This day would be different however. Today Ryo's training in sword fighting would be taken to a new level; only the girl would find out the hard way. The unexpected student was in the sword fighting room waiting for her teacher. She stood up as Riku entered sword in hand.  
  
"Okay, today we're going to do something different," the boy stated.  
  
"How so?" she asked.  
  
"We're going to use magic along with our blades," he said as he walked over to her.  
  
"Oh, all right then, ready"  
  
"Of course," he smirked. Riku then got into a fighting stance but held the shadowblade with only one hand and held out the other ready to summon a magic spell. Ryo did the same and waited for the right moment, when she found it she charged while powering up a blizzara spell in her hand. Riku saw this and countered with a thundara spell only accidentally hitting her as well as her spell. He cursed mentally but was relieved she escaped only scratched. They continued fighting and apparently Riku had the upper hand since his magic was stronger. Ryo, now bleeding from various scratches and cuts on her body was having trouble standing with the weight of her sword.  
  
"You should stop, you can barely stand," he stated. He watched and waited for the panting girl to respond.  
  
"I'm not stopping.until I can physically.go no more," she replied.  
  
"I won't continue, you're too badly hurt. I can see you trying to hold back your coughing," he exclaimed rather loudly actually sounding very concerned for her.  
  
"I.I said I'm-" she started to fall over but was lucky to have Riku catch her in time. He cursed under his breathe again for letting her continue and letting himself hurt her so much even for a training session. He flipped her onto his shoulder and left the room. It didn't take him long to find Maleficent who was shocked to see her favorite apprentice in such a state.  
  
"I all ready know what to do," she said as she turned around and swung her staff to the side summoning a door and opened it for them to go through. In the middle of the small room there was a stone bed with 1ft walls on the sides to prevent the person in the bed from falling or other various purposes. Riku set the girl gently on the stone furniture and looked at her with regret. Soon a green gel-like substance started to fill the bed and stopped at the girl's chin allowing her to breathe.  
  
"She'll have to stay in here until tomorrow, in the mean time I will look after her," stated Maleficent as she looked down to Riku who had been looking at Ryo the whole time.  
  
"This stuff is going to heal her right? And there won't be any side effects right?" asked the concerned boy. "Of course not, do you not trust me?" she asked.  
  
"Why don't I look after her?" he replied trying to ignore the subject.  
  
"I thought all you wanted was to look after Kairi?" asked the suspicious leader.  
  
"Oh, right," he replied as though the idea had been freshly put in his mind after it was erased willingly. "Speaking of which I'm going to continue my research," with that Riku left the room after getting one more look at the wounded girl and left.  
  
When Riku was gone Maleficent looked over her student and examined her wounds. She looked at the young girl's face then gently brushed some hair from her bangs out of her eyes. The evil fairy suddenly stopped and realized what she was doing and mentally slapped her-self for doing so. She was the Mistress of all Evil after all, why should she care for a child she knows nothing about. This aroused a thought in her brilliant mind. She placed her hand on the girl's forehead and caused a faint green glow around her hand and Ryo's forehead. When the glow dimmed out she placed her hand on the orb of her staff then swirled her fingers around causing a swirling of clouds in the orb until it showed a young girl around the age of 7 with short brown hair running in a field with who Maleficent assumed was the girl's parents.  
  
It was about mid-day and the family was having a wonderful time. The fairy of darkness would've ceased to watch the girl's memories anymore from the fact that she would've thrown up from all the happiness if the image of the golden dragon didn't catch her eye. The dragon looked much like her own alternate ego with a few minor differences in the color and this dragon didn't have any fins on the side of her head.  
  
A few moments later the image grew dark and violent winds gathered around the young girl's home in the fields. A huge black dragon with pure crimson eyes attacked her home and the towns around it. Maleficent watched intently as people were running around trying to stay with their families as the dragon continued to attack the land. The young girl from earlier was separated from her parents but the golden dragon stayed by her and flew the girl as far from danger as possible.  
  
The girl rode on the dragons back with droplets escaping her eyes knowing she might never see her parents again. She looked back and saw the place where she last saw her parents go up in flames. It was necessary for the dragon to fly low to avoid contact with the berserker dragon so as to not harm the little one riding her. Slayers had come in to try to kill the berserker by hurling spears and harpoons at it; this was almost a failure as the weapons were knocked away by his claws except for a few that struck his hide slowing him down. One spear strayed far away near the golden dragon and the girl, the dragon was able to see this and demanded the girl cling tightly as she started to glide with her back facing the ground and attempted to catch it but was stabbed by it instead.  
  
"MALICIMA!" shouted the girl as the dragon let out a moan of pain. Malicima didn't go down that easy however; she managed to fly upright again and fly towards a rock wall that opened up a secret passage just for the dragon leading them to a secluded cave. From there the orb showed the girl and dragon spending their last days together and the girl doing everything she could to extend the dragon's fading life. The orb fast forwarded to a month after the incident still in the cave.  
  
"Toshiko, you need to go to an orphanage, there you might be able to find a new family to look after you; as much I as I would enjoy raising you life with a with a dragon is not best suited for a growing child," stated the dragon who was now a faint shade of yellow.  
  
"But Malicima, you're still not well and I don't want to leave you. Besides, I liked my mommy and daddy and no one can replace them," pleaded the small child.  
  
"I know that but it's what is best for you. After all, your father grew up in an orphanage and he turned out just fine, please Toshiko, this path is the best one you can take right now. I'll be fine in a few days and then as soon as I can I'll come to visit you and do so everyday," replied the dragon with a soothing and calm voice.  
  
The orb stopped the images after that and went back to being it's usual green self. Maleficent looked down at the girl and for the first time felt pity for another person. Something caught her eye again and she looked back to her orb that was flickering more images and started showing solid pictures of the same girl now older and wearing a Japanese sailor-type school uniform of white, green and red. The girl was running to her school with her brown school bag in hand and rushed into her classroom after climbing a flight of stairs and sat down in her seat just as the bell rang. The students snickered and the teacher looked down at her with unhappiness from behind his glasses.  
  
"Late again are we Ms. Toshiko?" asked the teacher in a stern voice.  
  
"But Mr. Hubert, I'm not even late, the school bell was set ahead 5 minutes because of the power outage yesterday remember? And I was in my seat just in time for the bell," she replied. But before the teacher could make his response a girl sitting on the other side of the room raised her hand and stood up to make an announcement. The girl had long wavy hair of sunshine gold and eyes slightly up-lifted to give her a stuck-up appearance.  
  
"Excuse me Mr. Hubert," interrupted the girl.  
  
"Yes Ms. Arora?" he responded.  
  
"But isn't it school policy that if one is late to class even if a technical error has occurred to alter the school's bell schedule that that person must still arrive on time to the new and temporary requirement?" asked Arora.  
  
"Well, that rule isn't really enforced and I probably would've let her slide if I hadn't been reminded but since I have I guess I shall just have to give Ms. Toshiko detention, thank you Ms. Arora," commended the teacher.  
  
"Not a problem sir" responded the student as she sat back down and smirked over to the recently tardy girl. After that fiasco the scene had skipped to later in the day in another class with Toshiko quarrelling with Arora. As a few insults were batted around they both stopped to look at a classmate who had interrupted them by making a comment to Toshiko by saying, "Geez, settle down 'Maleficent'."  
  
The two girls looked at each other and Toshiko sneered at her rival with anger as she just laughed hysterically over the comment. When that was down the orb finally declined from showing it's owner images from the girl's past and resumed back to it's blank state. The evil fairy gazed down to the recuperating youth and watched with sorrow as she realized this was probably the only person she had so much in common with let alone anything at all. This sparked an idea in her head that would change so many things.  
  
Maleficent reached down and picked up the dragonblade that Riku had left when he brought Ryo in. She pulled back the sleeve allowing her wrist to show. With the sword in hand she held it to the back of her hand and made a slit around where her wrist was then stuck her bleeding hand into the substance the girl was lying in and watched with a mischievous smirk as the blood flowed from her body into any of the open wounds of the girl. Ryo winced at first unaware at what was happening but kept her eyes shut and let this new form of life source enter her being.  
  
When the process was over Maleficent drew her already healing arm back and continued to watch the girl. "I now bestow upon you all of my power and magic onto you my child. May this new gift be the key to your success and guide you onto a glorious path" stated Maleficent. A few seconds later she turned around and left the girl alone and blind for now from the new power and abilities given to her.  
  
The night came and left allowing the girl to heal completely. When she sat up from her now dry bed she looked around the room feeling very confused. She had no idea where she was and it was scaring her. To her surprise she was actually relieved to find Maleficent entering the room. "What is this place?" asked the confused girl.  
  
"This is the recovery room. You were severely injured in your training with Riku so he brought you here, he was very worried about you," she mentioned.  
  
"He was, really?" Ryo asked with a hint of joy in her voice.  
  
"Of course he was; but anyway, how are you feeling?"  
  
"I'm feeling great now, in fact I feel like I'm pumped with a lot of energy now," the young girl replied. "Heh, of course I always get hyper after a good nap" she added with a chuckle.  
  
"Good, your next mission will begin soon, if you feel up to it that is" said Maleficent with a teasing tone. The girl hopped over the side and out of the bed landing without a sound.  
  
"It seems kind of soon for me but I'm ready. By the way, what is the next mission?" Ryo asked.  
  
"You and Riku will travel to another world and await Sora's arrival. In the meantime you two must see if this one girl is one of the Princesses of Heart," Maleficent said. Ryo nodded her head and followed her mentor to the main hall where Riku was waiting for them. He saw Ryo and gave her his usual cool smirk which made her smile back.  
  
"So if we are to go to another world, how are we going to get there?" asked Riku.  
  
"I have a vessel prepared, in fact here comes the captain," said Maleficent as she turned around to see Captain Hook walk up to them. "I'll just let you know now that you better prepare yourselves because isn't going to be a pleasure cruise," said the captain. "And I better not hear anymore lip from you little girl," he added. Ryo just let out a sigh of annoyance showing she agreed.  
  
Ryo was exploring the different areas of the ship since she had nothing else to do. She stopped in front of a door where she heard something. The door slowly creaked as she opened it and found none other than Peter Pan trying to break free from his ropes. He stopped when he heard the door open but his shocked face changed to one of relief when he saw it was someone besides Smee.  
  
"Are you a prisoner too?" he asked hopefully.  
  
"Well, you could say that," said the shocked girl.  
  
"Is something wrong? Your eyes are wide and your face is red," chuckled the boy.  
  
"O-oh, sorry, it's just I thought I was never going to meet you Peter Pan" mentioned the stuttering girl.  
  
"I guess old Hook has mentioned me, huh? Say, do you think you can help me out here?" he asked.  
  
"Well." she looked around behind her then entered closing the door silently. "Alright, but we never met okay?" she said as she walked up to him and tried to untie him, she began with his hands that were behind his back.  
  
"Umm, okay, whatever you say," said the confused boy. "What's wrong? Haven't you gotten it untied yet? Guess girls aren't that good at things as boys are," he added.  
  
"Hey, I'm trying my best, and you could be a little more grateful you know. Don't you have a pocket knife, or something?" she said.  
  
"Hook put it out of my reach up there," he said while jerking his head up to show the pocket knife on the chicken wire grid above their heads. "I'd fly up there but these ropes have me tied down too," he added. Ryo sighed as she looked at the difficult ropes with disgust. An idea hit her and suddenly she began to chew at the ropes. For a split second her teeth began to sharpen and become a more triangular shape. The ropes were cut and Ryo backed away and began to feel her teeth with her fingers as Peter rubbed his wrists with his hands enjoying his soon-to-come freedom. The girl was confused as her teeth felt fine and just shrugged and helped the boy with the ropes on his feet.  
  
"Thanks," he said, "what's your name by the way?"  
  
"Oh, I'm Ryo, I need to get going now, if I find Tinker Bell I'll let you know alright?" she said. He replied with a nod and flew through the hole in the wire grid on the ceiling while grabbing his knife. Ryo looked around and thought about if what she did was right, after all, the only reason she was helping the villains was because she had no other choice. Though Maleficent and Riku had been taking good care of her she just tried to block it out from her mind as she walked towards the cabin hoping to find them there.  
  
Just before she opened the door she heard Kairi's name mentioned and decided that since it may not concern her she shouldn't go in just yet. She remembered one of the movie sequences from the game and listened intently to what was being said in the other room.  
  
"So, Kairi's like a lifeless puppet now?" she hard Riku say.  
  
"Precisely," said Maleficent.  
  
"And her heart was."  
  
"Taken by the Heartless, no doubt,"  
  
"Tell me! What can I do?"  
  
"There are seven maidens of the purest heart. We call them the princesses of heart. Gather them together, and a door will open to the heart of all worlds. Within lies untold wisdom. There you will surely find a way to recover Kairi's heart. Now, I'll grant you a marvelous gift. The power to control the Heartless!" she shouted in a loud booming voice while spreading her arms out.  
  
A black aura started engulfing Riku as he looked at himself then to Kairi and said: "Soon Kairi, soon."  
  
@ @  
  
Yes! Another chapter done. I hope I've been staying close to the storyline as possible with this. I even started a new game of Kingdom Hearts just so I could be as accurate as possible. Anyway, please R&R and I'll post the fifth chapter whether you like it or not :P 


	5. Ties that Bind are Cut by a Keyblade

Author's Note: Wow..Five chapters..not much else to say except that Disney and Squresoft- or is it Square Enix now? Well, those two own all the characters and stuff except for Ryo, she's mine, no one else's.and it's gonna stay that way, she could be borrowed I suppose...but that's it &#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&#& #&#&#&#&#&#&#&#&  
  
Ryo was sitting on the staircase in the library in Hollow Bastion. She was recalling everything that had happened in Neverland. Her head was in her hands as her elbows rested on her knees. She stared out into nothing as a red book rested in her lap waiting to be read. The girl's expression was not all to pleasing as it looked like someone had offended her deeply and she was responding with one of those if-only-this-look-could-make-you- suffer-a-fate-far-worse-than-Death-and-torture-you-for-all- Eternity looks. The battle between Hook and Sora replayed in her mind and then fast forwarded to when she and Riku arrived back to their base as one might say.  
Riku had used so much energy trying to get him and Kairi back almost forgetting Ryo who was lucky to have been brought back by Maleficent. The thing that really bothered her though was what he had said afterwards to Maleficent. Those words pierced and wounded her heart more than any doubled-edge sword could. The other edge of that sword was all the time they spent together and him making her think and feel that there could be something between them. The words kept repeating in her head over and over again. "I don't care if what I did was foolish, I didn't want anything to happen to her, and no one or anything is going to take her away from me."  
The girl's head shot up when she heard a door opening and closing. She looked behind her and saw her teacher walk up to her.  
  
"I've been looking all over for you; there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about," said Maleficent.  
"I know, we lost again but Sora won't be coming for awhile, I saw the expression on his face after the battle and he's going back to the Coliseum to train before coming here, he'll need it," Ryo responded.  
"That's not what I wanted to talk about, it's about you're training my dear," she said with a slightly warmer tone than usual.  
"Is there something I need to do to prepare for his arrival?"  
"No, it's about how rapidly you were able to learn and master your magic, and it's not because of your necklace, no, it's beyond that."  
"Then maybe it has to do with my lineage."  
"I thought as much, tell me, who were your parents?"  
"Well, my father was a well known Dragon Knight and my mother. . . she was a powerful black sorceress. She was very powerful but she didn't really use it for evil or anything, she just wanted to be the best at something and she did so," said the younger girl with a bit of a sad sound. She looked up with a confused expression for her mentor. "But how did you know that-"  
"That you are an orphan? It wasn't that hard to figure out considering you showed no interest in finding a way back to your home, any child wouldn't want to stay away from friends and family too long."  
"Heh, what made you not think that I was just a loner?"  
"Even a lone wolf has someone in their heart as they walk an isolated path from everything and everyone they want away from them. Besides, it's amazing how much information magic can bring you, I'm sorry but I couldn't stand back and let someone I knew hardly anything about just come and learn magic under me be they powerful or not," explained Maleficent. As much as the Fairy of Darkness would hate to admit to herself she was saddened when she saw the shocked expression on her pupil's face. "I can understand if you are to trust me even less," she said as she awaited the words to be unleashed from the girl's mouth. But the thing that surprised her was the response.  
"That's not why I have this face, I have this face because I'm surprised you were so honest to me, that whole 'lone wolf' stuff I can understand coming from you, but the fact that you admitted reading my memories leaves me flummoxed a lot," Ryo replied.  
"Well if we are to have a strong relationship as teacher and student wouldn't it be best if we leave no lies told between us?" continued the fairy. Even she couldn't help but smile as she saw the look of mild joy on Ryo's face after hearing those words. Maleficent could only imagine what it must've felt like for her to hear what Riku said and she thought it best that these words would cheer her up a bit, and it would also be good for herself to relieve the pressure on her shoulders about her little secret.  
"And besides," she started to add, "It's the least I can do for a fellow 'Maleficent'," she said with a smirk. If Ryo was an anime character she would've done a classic face-fault but just choked and jerked her head forward and looked back up at the other person.  
"You.you saw that part too?" asked the shocked girl. Maleficent chuckled and sat next to her and placed her staff leaning against the stairs next to her as she looked at the girl.  
"It's almost frightening to compare how much in common we really share isn't it?"  
"Heh, yeah, even the whole 'Aurora' ordeal also, only mine isn't a princess, just some rich guy's daughter, almost worse if you ask me."  
"I suppose. Did I catch you at a bad time?" she asked. Ryo looked down at the book in her lap and shook her head.  
"Oh no, I wasn't planning on reading it anytime soon, it's nothing that important. . ." she replied. Although when Maleficent looked at the title of the book she knew right away that Ryo was just being polite. After all, if anyone had gone through the same things as Ryo, no one would want to read a book titled 'Getting through Love and Mana'. "But it's funny, every time I wanted to curse Arora out I would just shout out 'May you prick your finger on a spindle of a spinning wheel without the protection of blue fairies!' and I would point my index finger at her. But I don't know what made me be polite enough to refrain from showing the other finger to her." Ryo started to laugh lightly and Maleficent did the same enjoying the threat  
"Well, that is one way to put it."  
  
Riku was standing at the castle gates looking down upon the Rising Falls. He could sense Sora coming and he would be their waiting. But he sensed someone else already here. He jumped down and went to see who it was. He could see a transmogrified figure charging up to him, he had horns like a bull but fur like a wolf and face almost human, but too beastlike to be recognized as one by any other person. His purple cape flapped in the air as he landed in front of Riku growling yet panting.  
"No vessel, no help from the Heartless... So tell me, how'd you get here?" Riku asked.  
"I simply believed. Nothing more to it. When our world fell into darkness, Belle was taken from me. I vowed I would find her again no matter what the cost. I believed I would find her. So, here I am. She must be here. I will have her back!" exclaimed the beast.  
Riku looked over to see Sora and his friends ready to jump in but he ignored them for now and turned his attention back to Beast.  
"Take her if you can," was all he said. The Beast roared in anger and charged at the boy. What he didn't expect was for him to dodge and counterattack. Riku knocked him back leaving him winded and deeply injured with a swift hit of his Shadowblade.  
"Stop!" shouted Sora as he arrived just in time to witness every thing that had happened.  
"So, you finally made it. About time. I've been waiting for you. We've always been rivals, haven't we? You've always pushed me as I've always pushed you," said Riku.  
"Riku."  
"But it all ends here. There can't be two Keyblade masters," he continued.  
"What are you talking about?" asked the confused Sora.  
"Let the Keyblade choose...its true master," he said. With his hand before him he watched the weapon in Sora's hand shake and disappear. Riku smirked as it reappeared in his own hand and paid little attention to Donald and Goofy's shout of shock. "Maleficent was right. You don't have what it takes to save Kairi. It's up to me. Only the Keyblade master can open the secret door...and change the world," he said. He was also glad to see and listen to Sora's disheartened remarks of disbelief.  
"But that's impossible. How did this happen? I'm the one who fought my way here with the Keyblade!" Sora shouted.  
"You were just the delivery boy. Sorry, your part's over now. Here, go play hero with this," Riku said while tossing Sora his old wooden sword.  
While all of this was happening outside Maleficent and Ryo were in the chamber with all the princesses. Maleficent stood in the center of the captured girls and Ryo watched from the side as usual remembering this scene.  
"O purest of hearts! Reveal to me the Keyhole!" bellowed Maleficent as she spread her arms out. A purple beam of light emitted from each girl including Kairi who was kept in a capsule on an alter in another room connected to the hall the other six princesses were held in. Ryo sighed and thought back to the moment she and Maleficent had shared just hours ago talking. She feared for her teacher's fate especially now after what they had said. "Why don't you fear the Darkness?" Ryo asked again in her head replaying their moment in her head.  
"My heart is strong and over powers the darkness, you should worry for your own sake, I do.sometimes," replied Maleficent.  
"You should practice what you preach sometimes." she said. Maleficent chuckled and stroked Ryo's hair letting her hand rest on her shoulder sensing her concern.  
"I have nothing to worry about, the darkness has no power over me and no one can defeat me nor will anyone in the future, well, near future at least," she smiled at Ryo sending her silent note and the girl smiled a little.  
"It will take a long time for me to get that strong, but I would never hurt you."  
"Nor I you my child," Maleficent replied softly and stood up to leave.  
Ryo snapped back to reality and spoke softly. "Even though we are near to where I left off in the game, I still know what will happen-no. . .might happen. I won't let him hurt you Maleficent-sama."  
  
Riku was running down a hall way after his defeat with Sora. The new key bearer lost to the old one and now ran with anger losing again to his rival. "Why, it was. . ." shouted the infuriated boy as he continued running.  
"Know this," started a strong, deep voice from out of no where. Soon a hooded figure appeared behind him in a light brown cloak. "The heart that is strong and true shall win the Keyblade," he finished.  
"What? You're saying my heart's weaker than his?" asked Riku turning around the face him.  
"For that instant, it was. However, you can become stronger. You showed no fear in stepping through the door to darkness. It held no terror for you. Plunge deeper into the darkness, and your heart will grow even stronger," said the hooded man.  
"What should I do?' asked the boy.  
"It's really quite simple. Open yourself to the darkness. That is all. Let your heart, your being, become darkness itself," he replied.  
Riku looked at himself as a dark green aura started to engulf him. He looked back up and saw the man gone and soon his usual yellow shirt and blue pants disappeared and was replaced by a skin-tight suit with black, dark blue and red colors swirled into it and a heartless symbol on his chest. He could tell Sora and his friends were on their way to the Chapel so Riku made his way there to meet up with Maleficent and Ryo.  
When he entered to room he saw Ryo standing on the upper level near the railing. She saw him and kept her face emotionless as she watched him. The new Riku looked at her with cold eyes but there was still something inside of him that urged him to say something to her. He might have done so if it wasn't for the task at hand. He turned away from her as he walked with Maleficent to the doorway. "So, I see the path has emerged at last," he spoke with an evil sounding voice echoing his own.  
Ryo choked out a gasp as she remembered what had happened. The scene played before her mind's eye; watching him run down the hall and that man, yes, that darkness-obsessed man who now resides in the young male. But this wasn't the only thing that surprised her. She had to work hard to breathe now as she remembered something about this hooded stranger. Ryo went back to the room of her memories and saw the man in her classroom when she was all by herself.  
"Their taunting is something you can no longer take. You feel as though you'll snap at any moment and might do something you'll regret," spoke the man.  
The brown-haired girl who had been looking out the window turned to face him with a stunned expression on her face. "Who are you? When did you come in here?" she asked doing her best not to sound scared.  
"Just a person who wants to help," he responded.  
"As chivalrous as that sounds I can't just believe a random person who just walks into my classroom, besides, how did you know I'm the class 'dart board'? You have a bug on me or something?" she said with a bit of a harsh tone.  
"You're questions I can understand, but I think there is something much greater for you that you would not be able to find here," he said. The hooded man looked down on her desk and scattered the papers a bit with his gloved hand so he could get a better look. If the girl could see his face she would completely be sure he was smirking as he stared at a rather decent drawing of herself to look like Maleficent and another to look like the girl she would unknowingly later become. "You just need help on getting to that place where you can reach your full potential," he finished.  
"Full potential? What are you talking about?" she asked while walking closer to see if she could get a better look of him but he took a step back.  
"You will see in do time, your pathway has not been revealed yet even though you have it," he continued. He turned his head to look at her and saw her confused expression and he chuckled. "I'll just tell you that you shouldn't take your passion for video games for granted, you'll be amazed by the new worlds they'll take you to."  
"Great, this whole time I thought I was talking to some mysterious old wise man and it turns out you're just a spokesman for the new game Kingdom Hearts. Look," she started before she took a deep breath to obviously repeat a review she read for the game. "I know this game is a wonderful new adventuresome fantasy RPG that features all of your favorite Final Fantasy characters combined with the classic and new Disney characters you grew up with. If you love games or just a good story in general you need to buy this game just for the fact that it's from Disney," she replied then took another breath for her tired lungs. She looked confused again as the man chuckled deeply.  
"Kingdom Hearts, so that's what they named it.Well, I guess I have nothing left to say except that you better take care of that necklace of yours, because one day it will take care of you," he said  
"Wait, why is it so important? Who are you anyway?" she asked but her attention was diverted to the window after the bell rang signaling the end of their lunch break. She turned again to look for the man but he had disappeared with out a trace.  
Ryo, now breathing heavily watched as Riku and Maleficent stood before the entrance.  
"Yes. The Keyhole to the darkness," answered Maleficent to the boy's statement.  
"Unlock it and the Heartless will overrun this world," he continued with his altered voice.  
"What do I care? The darkness holds no power over me. Rather, I will use its power to rule all worlds," she replied.  
"Such confidence," was all he said as a dark keyblade appeared in his hand. Maleficent stared in stunned anger.  
"Oh! Impossible! The princesses of heart are all here!" she exclaimed then turned to look at Kairi lying in mid-air behind them. "It must be her."  
"Without her heart, she will never be able to release her power," said Riku. Ryo listened closely to their conversation and realized this is exactly where she had left off. Sora was in the castle now and Maleficent was going to fight him and.  
"The king's fools are here. I'll deal with them myself. You stay here and guard the princesses," Maleficent said.  
"Wait!" exclaimed Ryo. "Please Maleficent-sama, let me take care of them," she pleaded.  
"No, I can't allow you to fight him; he is stronger now considering what you said is true. I will fight him and defeat him," the concerned master said to her apprentice. Ryo jumped down from where she was and landed right in front of Maleficent and grabbed onto her robes looking up at her with desperate eyes.  
"But I can't let you fight him. This is exactly where I stopped and I know what will happen if you go out and fight him. Besides, if you don't let me fight him then all my training would be for nothing," she finished while still looking at the person she now looked up to's eyes. (he he, double meaning) Maleficent looked down at the girl and paused for a moment thinking back to their conversation and how Ryo admitted to being weak compared to her.  
"If you are so concerned then you may come with incase something does happen. But you must understand I can not ignore this fight, after all the boy has come so far and it would be rude of me to disappoint him," she said with a smirk and started walking to "greet" her guests. Before Ryo followed her she looked back to Riku with a sympathetic look. Riku's expression changed from emotionless to surprise. Inside he was trying to fight for control over himself against the other man inside him, fighting against Ansem. Riku wanted to say something before she left and started walking to her to do so but he stopped and grabbed his forehead in pain and leaned against his keyblade for support.  
"Riku-" she started before he cut her off.  
"Just go," he breathed out barely without the sound of the dark tone that recently echoed his voice. Ryo started walking to him but he looked up at her and shouted with his own voice still: "Go before you get hurt!" She looked at him with grief and turned around to join Maleficent in the fight against the Keybearer.  
  
Maleficent stood before Sora, Goofy, and Donald. Ryo, who was still thinking what Riku meant by "leave before you get hurt," stood beside her and watched as Sora drew his keyblade ready to fight.  
"I'm afraid you're too late. Any moment now, the final Keyhole will be unsealed. This world will be plunged into darkness. It is unstoppable," stated Maleficent.  
"We'll stop it! After coming this far, there's no way we're gonna let that happen!" shouted Sora as he was preparing himself for what he hoped to be the final fight.  
The Dark Fairy glared at him and spoke with eyes wide from his over confidence. "You poor, simple fools. You think you can defeat me? Me, the mistress of all evil?" she exclaimed while throwing her arms into the air. Ryo watched intently since she had always imagined how Maleficent would fight head on without turning into a dragon like she had done against Prince Philip. But before she could tell what was going on a disc made of stone lifted her up into the air. The young girl looked down to see Maleficent looking at her then she too was uplifted by a disc made of stone only it was twice the size of the girl's.  
Sora and his friends charged at her ready to fight but were cut off by a barrage of Defender heartless. Maleficent cackled as she flew around the room on her disc firing thunder spells onto her enemies after they had defeated her first wave and collected their HP/MP spheres and munny. Sora however managed to jump up onto her disc and started attacking her. Ryo glowered at him but decided it was best to see how her master could handle his situation.  
Maleficent grunted as she tried to deflect all his blows with her staff. She was able to only block a few of them but Sora was faster and managed to get a few hits in. Finally she decided that the best defense was a good offense and started to whack at him with her staff with one hand. But this was doing no good for her so she turned into a small orb of green light and made the disc float to the other end of the Castle Chapel. As the disc started to move it also spun around knocking Sora off.  
Ryo was starting to get worried and tried to jump down from her position but was knocked back by force field Maleficent had put on her disc much like with all the lift stops. Ryo leaned against the field and watched apprehensively at the battle below.  
"Meteors of Heaven! Answer my call!" shouted Maleficent in her normal state. She had her arms over her heads and soon a huge blue, blinding light appeared before and huge blue rocks were hurling towards Sora and his friends. Sora dodged around the room only getting hit by one as Donald and Goofy ran around frantically trying their best not to get hit. The boy grimaced after getting hit by one of the meteors and started firing his own magic spells at the fairy. The disc moved around the room trying to avoid the attacks making Sora follow it hoping to get onto it again to fight her head on since that was his strong point.  
After a few more spells from Maleficent, Sora managed to get back on the disc after using Strike Raid and started attacking again. This time Maleficent used both hands to wield her staff since she would have more strength and was able to knock him off the disc again after she took in a few more hits. Sora ducked under the disc as it flew over him and Maleficent looked around to try to find him before he could make his next move.  
"BEHIND YOU!" shouted Ryo as loud as she could to her mentor. Maleficent turned around with her staff parallel with the ground and above her head to block Sora's jump attack. She was able to deflect his first assault but what she didn't expect for him to do was to swing from the side making a huge gash on her chest. When he had done this he re-opened her scar that she received from Prince Philip from their fight just outside of King Stephen's kingdom.  
Maleficent screamed out in pain causing her concentration on all her spells to break as she started to fall backwards and off of the disc. Ryo fell to the ground but landed on her feet just before jumping over to Maleficent and caught her in time. The girl fell back slightly from the momentum but stood back up helping the fairy to her feet. The woman clutched her chest tightly and was gasping for air. A black and purple portal appeared behind them as all the thorns in the room burst into green flames and diminished as Ryo helped Maleficent into it and they both disappeared into another room. Sora stayed back for a moment to pass potions and ethers around before they would chase after them.  
"Maleficent-sama, you should've let me fight them, you're seriously injured now and you can't fight," cried out the concerned girl as she walked the injured Maleficent deeper into the room. Riku appeared out from black and blue portal from behind and walked up to them. "Do you need any help?" he asked with his voice echoed with the older man's again.  
"Do not fret my child, this is what I wanted to prevent from happening to you and I am glad this happened to me instead," she replied weakly as she started to slowly sit on the stairs to rest.  
  
Tears were starting to form out from the corner of Ryo's eyes. Soon the girl gasped seeing the amount of blood that was coming from the wound and onto Maleficent's hand. She looked around hastily until she ripped part of Maleficent's sleeve off from her robes and started to wrap it around her chest.  
"Sorry, but it was the only thing long enough that I could find. I'll just cast a curaga on it before I take you to the healing chamber so we can fully heal that gash of yours," she said while preventing anymore blood to be drained. Maleficent was shocked not by losing part of her robes but to see Ryo jump so quickly to help her and smiled softly to know that someone had cared so much for her. Tears were starting to form at the corner of her eyes for the first time in a very long time as well and she touched the droplets on her cheek in shock that she was doing this. But she wiped them away quickly before Ryo or Riku could notice them.  
Ryo had just finished wrapping up the wound and placed her hands near it ready to cast her spell. "Curag-" was all the girl could say before Sora exploded into the room.  
"Riku!" he shouted as he entered the room. Donald noticed the object the possessed boy was holding and came to a state of shock when he thought it could be another keyblade.  
"Is that-" was all the duck could say before Riku broke him off.  
"Yes. A Keyblade. But unlike yours, this Keyblade holds the power to unlock people's hearts. Allow me to demonstrate..." said Riku as he walked over and shoved Ryo away knocking her almost to the ground if she hadn't braced herself just in time. Ryo's eyes widened in fear as she saw Riku thrust his keyblade towards Maleficent's heart and shouted: "Behold!"  
"Wha-" started a shocked Maleficent. Her eyes were wide with fear as the blade had pierced itself into her heart.  
"Now, open your heart, surrender it to the darkness! Become darkness itself!" shouted Riku. He pulled his keyblade out of her heart and disappeared.  
"This is it! This power! Darkness. . . The true darkness!" exclaimed Maleficent as she started to gain power with an eager open mouthed smile. Her usual green aura surrounded her as the power was building up inside of her as she dropped her staff beside her. But then she started to realize what was going to happen to her and she looked over to the horror-struck Ryo. Soon that same expression came over Maleficent the second before she started changing.  
The power was so overwhelming to the sorceress she couldn't contain it all in her current form. Soon she started cackling and raised her arms above her head as her signature green flames engulfed her and grew as she did while changing into a magnificent black dragon. There was too much smoke at first to see her features but everyone could hear her laughing.  
Ryo gasped in alarm and awe for seeing her master take on such a form right before her eyes. She watched as the smoke started to clear up and the dragon's toothy grin could be seen. The girl had to look for a safe place to hide knowing the true final battle between Sora and Maleficent would begin. As she looked around she saw a small clearing behind a huge branch of thorns near a wall and ducked between them. Ryo peered over the branch breathing hard from excitement and fear as she watched the battle.  
The dragon arched her neck releasing a loud roar then with the speed of a viper jerked her head foreword snapping at the boy. Sora dodge rolled out of the way just in time and started to strike back at her mouth. The dragon tried to time his movements and attempted to snatch his weapon in her mouth the through it away, but it was no good. Sora proceeded to use Arns Ancrum striking her as many times as he could. This infuriated her and she started to shoot green fire at him surrounding him completely and watched with amusement as he ran into the fire disoriented and blinded by the light. She used this opportunity to swing her body around and knocked the boy and his friends against a wall with her tail.  
Sora yelled in pain as his back hit the thorn branch just missing a sharp thorn by inches. Ryo looked at the boy as he slumped to the ground but got up hastily to charge at Maleficent. The dragon responded to his action by stomping on the ground repeatedly causing shock waves to attack Sora and trip him while inflicting a great amount of damage as well.  
Ryo was relieved to see her master have the upper hand in the beginning and continue to hold it. But soon her luck started to change as Sora summoned Simba to help him fight. Sora stood still for a moment charging him and his partner up in just enough time to dodge another fire blast and released a power blast using the might king's roar to take out an enormous amount of health from the dragon. The boy continued to do this until his magic ran out leaving him only to fight with regular attacks.  
Donald and Goofy were able to come up from behind and attack the dragon at her head to catch her off guard. This managed to inflict some damage and distract her as Sora used an ether on himself to replenish some of his magic. Ryo could see that Maleficent was starting to lose her strength and Sora was getting ready for his final attack while Goofy and Donald kept the dragon away screaming as they climbed the thorn branches as the dragon continuously snapped at them.  
The girl wasn't going to sit back and let this happen. She jumped out from her hiding place as she saw Sora charging. The dragon could hear his footsteps and turned around only to see a blues and purple flash with the sound of a loud clang.  
Ryo had jumped in front of Sora and was blocking his keyblade with her dragonblade. Sora was pushing with all his might grunting now and then to get Ryo out of the way but she didn't even flinch as she stared in down with a frozen glare.  
"What are you doing!?" shouted the boy. "I have to defeat her! She'll spread darkness through out all worlds!" exclaimed the boy.  
"I can not allow you to kill Maleficent-sama. I know you want to stop the darkness from spreading all over but not if it means killing her," said the girl with a deep and unwavering voice.  
"Kill her?" asked the confused boy; but he shook his head to focus on the event that was happening now. "You don't have to do this! I can help you find your light and escape from the darkness. Can't you see Maleficent is only using you like she is Riku?"  
"No you're wrong! Maleficent-sama has only helped me ever since I arrived to this world. The darkness has no power over me and I am here to keep it away from the two people I care about. Step aside Keybearer and just do what you came here for...to save your friends" she said slowly but kept her blade up incase he tried to do something. She looked back up at the dragon with steadfast eyes. "Please Maleficent-sama, stop this now before the you are consumed by the darkness," she pleaded. (Oy, I'm starting to sound like Ansem now, at least it's not just one person saying darkness)  
The dragon looked down to the girl with a thoughtful look then to the boy with anger. She huffed with smoke coming out from her nostrils and turned her head away. The girl smiled in relief then looked back to Sora who looked at her with a judging look. He looked deep into her eyes to see if he could trust her, but even if she was he couldn't take a chance at letting all the worlds fall into darkness and be under Maleficent's rule.  
Sora pushed against Ryo and took a step back and ran past her in a flash. Ryo saw this in shock and watched as Time started to slow around her. She hurled her dragonblade at him hoping to knock him out but he took an extra big step barely missing her attack. As Ryo started to fall foreword with her heart pounding deeply in her chest and her breath was coming short as she saw the dragon turn her head eyes wide with alarm as Sora stabbed her just below her chest.  
Maleficent arched her head back letting out a loud agonizing scream of pain. Ryo's memories of Malicima taking a spear just to save her and shortened her life severely because of it rushed through her mind. All the thorns in the room started to burst into green flames and disappear just like they did in the previous room. Finally Time started to catch to her and air was starting to enter her lungs again just in time for her to scream.  
"NOOOOOO!!!" shouted the girl as she saw the dragon fall over to her left and landed on her stomach in the center of the room. Ryo was frozen for a moment as she watched the one she saw as a mother figure to her for the first time since he own mother die fall to the ground in pain. The girl rushed over to her as fast as she could leaving Sora and his friends watching dumbfounded and disheartened at the same time.  
Ryo dropped her dragonblade near her and fell to her knees as she wrapped her arms around the dragon's neck and buried her face into her hard yet smooth scales and cried. "No, Maleficent- sama, please don't go," pleaded the grief-stricken girl. The dragon opened her eyes and started to glow a dim shade of green. The girl released her neck and leaned back as she watched Maleficent turn back into her normal form and turn onto her back to sit up leaning against one hand as the other held her fresh cut.  
Ryo put an arm around her shoulder to help her up and looked at the wound; it wasn't as bad as the first one but it still left her pretty weak especially since even after her unlocked heart filled her with power her previous wound wasn't fully healed. Maleficent looked to her left to see Ryo looking at her with tear- stained cheeks that were still being covered in fresh streams.  
"Just hold on Maleficent-sama, I'll help you to the healing chamber and you'll be all better, just like when you helped me," said the girl with a shaking voice. Ryo used held out her other hand in front of them and summoned a portal just like the one from Sora and Maleficent's first fight.  
"Wait, where are you goimf-" started Donald but Goofy clamped his beak and put a finger to his mouth to shush his noisy friend.  
Ryo helped her gasping and coughing master to her feet and slowly walked her through the portal. As Maleficent's robes dragged across the ground they left behind a smudged trail of dark matter. Just as the two left the room Goofy looked over to Sora who still had on his emotionless face after seeing this happen.  
"Are you sure it was a good idea to let them go like that? What if Maleficent comes back to try and stop us again?" he asked.  
"Don't worry, I know she won't be able to fight for a long time. . ." the boy replied.  
"What about that other girl?" asked Donald.  
"She'll be too busy looking after her before she wants to come after us," he replied.  
"And what about me? Did you forget me again Sora?" came a voice from nowhere.  
The trio looked around and saw Riku coming out from a portal and step over the smudge Maleficent left behind.  
"It seems that the Heartless were using her in the beginning. She failed to notice the darkness in her heart eating away at her. She probably would've died if she didn't have feelings for that girl. Hmmm, so Ryo was the light for Maleficent. . ." said Riku. He looked over to Sora then disappeared. Sora and his friends followed after him.  
  
Maleficent was in the same stone bed with the gel-like healing substance that Ryo was placed in before. The young girl was sitting by her side watching over intently hoping she would be alright. "Hang in there Maleficent-sama, you're going to be okay," whispered the girl.  
The woman opened her eyes half way and smiled as she saw Ryo's face above her. She started to sit up clutching her new wound from the boy and leaned back against Ryo's scolding. "Its fine Ryo, I'll be fine," she said.  
"But you shouldn't be sitting up like that, I'm surprised you've made it this far with all those wounds you've received; but I'm glad that you have made it this far," Ryo replied.  
"Even so I doubt I'll be able to go on much longer," gasped out the weak fairy just before clutching her teeth in the throbbing pain. Ryo jumped up from her seat and was leaning closer now with tears forming at the corners of her eyes again.  
"This is why you need to lie down," stated the girl.  
"Even if I do go I won't die, I have prepared for this. My body is what can not stay anymore, however my heart will continue on with you," Maleficent said while giving a tired and weak smile.  
"What do you mean?" asked the confused apprentice.  
"There is something else I've been hiding from you. . ." the woman had to stop now and then to catch her breath before speaking. "When I put you in this chamber to heal you and gave you some of my blood while you were unconscious. There is a spell I learned a while back on how to cheat Death as one might say. When I leave this 'plain' I will still be able to live in another body, but it has to be one that shares the same blood. It'll be only a short time before I regain my energy and can reform my body and I will be back to my full state. I am sorry if I made you feel as though you were being used Ryo. I care for you very much and I didn't want us to be separated by some 'technicality'. But you do not have to accept this task if you don't want to," she said still smiling her weak smile.  
The girl took her necklace in her hand and stared at for a moment then looked back to Maleficent smiling. "I would be glad to share my body with you if it means you'll be brought back Maleficent-sama," said the girl softly. The woman slowly reached up and wiped the girl's tears away gently with her index finger feeling the warmth of her flesh and coldness of her tears. Ryo smiled and held Maleficent's hand close to her cheek with her own hand for a moment then released it.  
"One thing I would like to ask you first is why you've been ending my name with that word lately," said Maleficent.  
"In my world, when you add 'sama' at the end of one's name it means you consider them you're leader, or something like that," she replied.  
"Well if that's the case then you don't have to call me that any longer if you do not wish it."  
"Heh, I just started getting use to it and you're asking me to stop? Well, it might take awhile but I'll try."  
"Alright."  
  
"Forget it! There's no way you're taking Kairi's heart!" shouted an angry Sora with his keyblade drawn ready to fight Riku. The possessed boy just smirked and charged at his rival ready to fight. As their keyblades clashed against one another sparks and jolts of energy were sent throughout the entire castle.  
Ryo and Maleficent could feel them in another room which was starting to make the fairy worried.  
"Ryo, go and bring me my staff, I need it before I go," requested Maleficent. Ryo answered with a nod and started to leave. She looked back once then took off towards the Castle Chapel. When she arrived there she looked everywhere but was only able to find the green orb that was attached to it and started running back to the chamber Maleficent was in.  
When she entered the room she half gasped half choked when she didn't see Maleficent in the bed. She wanted to scream out when all she saw in the bed was a black and purple smudge much like the one she remembered seeing near the end of Sleeping Beauty. But before she could even make a move she heard a voice inside of her telling her to go to the Main Hall. The girl paused for a few seconds then did as the familiar voice requested of her to do.  
The moment Ryo walked in she saw Sora falling to the ground as all of the princess' hearts, including Kairi's, was heading back to their rightful owners. Ryo watched as Sora fell to the ground and Kairi ran to try to catch him but only ended up grabbing yellow particles of magic. The girl started to feel sorry for them but stopped her emotion as she remembered and figured out what Sora had done to the only two people she had cared for in a long time.  
"So, you have awakened at last, Princess. The Keyhole is now complete. You have served your purpose. But now it's over," said a tanned man with long white hair and amber eyes as he appeared out of nowhere. Donald and Goofy readied their weapons as the man started to approach.  
"Do you think we can stop him all by ourselves?" asked Goofy.  
"I don't know!" shouted Donald. Ryo rushed over to them with her dragonblade in one hand and the orb in her other.  
"I'll help you fight him. Especially after what he has done to Riku," she said. The two fighters were surprised to see her helping them but looked over to Ansem as he started chuckling.  
"So you have changed after all. You look quite nice with your new look; even better compared to your old one," he said with a smirk.  
"Shut up! Give Riku his heart back you bastard!" she shouted.  
Ansem continued to walk but stopped suddenly and tried to move. "Impossible. . ."  
An image of Riku appeared in front of him but he was transparent. "No, I won't let you use me for this!" he shouted. "Now go! The Heartless are coming!" he shouted again.  
Kairi, Goofy, and Donald started to run away but Ryo stood there. "Riku. . ." she said.  
"Ryo you have to go! Leave this place before you are hurt," said Riku.  
"No, I'm not going to leave you!"  
"You have to go now; I won't let anything happen to you Ryo. . .I care for you too much."  
Ryo's eyes started to fill up with tears when she heard him say this. Her legs slowly started moving her over to him as she ignored the struggling Ansem and only saw the faint image of Riku before her. Riku gazed at her with sad eyes as he lifted his hand and reached out to touch her cheek wanting to wipe her tears away. He couldn't stand to see her cry like this; but what made him want to cry was when his hand went through her even when she tried to take it into her own.  
"Promise me we'll see each other again," asked the saddened girl.  
"I promise. . ." he said softly as he watched her with sorrowful eyes. Ryo nodded and started to run away with the orb close to her heart letting a trail of tears fall behind. Riku held his arm out and his hand outstretched and saw that she was so far away now her image could fit in his hand. He kept his arm out like that and smiled softly before he faded away leaving an amused Ansem to witness this heartbreaking scene.  
  
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Yes! The fifth but not final chapter! I am so glad I got another review too, and hopefully I'll get more after this one. Sorry to all Sora fans if I made him seem too evil at some points, but oh well, he did and said those things and there's no turning back now. Hope you have fun with this one, again please R&R, ja ne. 


	6. Light and Darkness Team Up

Author's Note: I FINALLY GOT IT DONE. I was almost done typing it when one day my computer wouldn't read my disk. Long story short one of by best friends, Shimi, was able to bring it up on her computer, print it, and I typed it up again and fixed up all the problems I could find. Sorry if you still find errors in grammar, spelling and story. I am sooo sorry to my faithful readers that it took so long. Hopefully after Finals week I can start work on the next chapter. Please R+R

Ryo had been running throughout the many twists and turns of Hollow Bastion to make her escape. As she ran, tears fell behind her as she was having trouble breathing. Her legs were starting to weaken under her, but she knew she had to keep running; her life depended on it. She had made it to the last Lift Stop and was thankful she could get a short rest as the platform took her to the Entrance Hall.

The moment she was teleported out of the bizarre elevator she ran as fast as she could to her destination. Her legs became weaker with each step she took; she thought she may not make it. Ryo's vision was becoming blurred; it was like the Darkness as coming from the corners of her sight toward the center to swallow her. Soon it was all she could see, Darkness; but she pressed on to escape it. A faint, green, light could be seen ahead; she couldn't tell what it was but it appeared to be the light from the next room. Just as she had entered the room she heard someone all out her name in a quick deep voice, sounding as if it had taken it's first breath of fresh after being held under water for centuries.

It was in that moment her legs finally gave up. The girl had just reached the Entrance Hall and started to fall from the second level of the room off the edge of the dragon figure head of the water fountain.

Sora and his friends were about to leave when he heard Ryo's gasp. He turned around to see her falling to the ground. The boy rushed over as fast as he could and caught her just in time before she hit the hard floor. Ryo had fallen unconscious and lied limp in his arms as he carried her to the gummi ship. The group had made it safely back to the ship and were on their way to Traverse Town. While Donald was at the controls everyone was standing around Ryo who was on the floor.

"I still don't see why you saved her," squawked the duck.

"Ah c'mon Donald, I couldn't just leave her here with the heartless coming," replied Sora.

"Do you think she'll be ok?" asked Goofy.

"I don't know, she hasn't moved an inch since I caught her," said Sora.

"What's that in her hand?" asked Kairi as she knelt down to get a better look.

"Hm? I don't know, look's like some crystal ball or something."

"Do you think it could be a gummi piece?" asked Goofy.

"No, don't think so," said Sora. He knew he had seen it from somewhere before, but he couldn't remember exactly what from. But it didn't matter, he had found Kairi and that was all that was important right now, aside from saving Riku of course.

Ryo was falling into Darkness. She knew she was dreaming but it all felt so real to her. It felt like ice was nipping at her skin while her lungs were doing everything they could to keep her breathing. It reminded her of when she fell through the portal that brought her into all of this. Shadows were starting to grab and snatch her body from everywhere, as much as she tried she couldn't fight them off.

As she continued to falling she could hear a familiar female voice speaking to her. Ryo's tired eyes looked everywhere they could but she couldn't see anyone.

"Have I taught you nothing?" started the voice. "I gave you a great gift, use it well to overcome Darkness, rather use it to your advantages, do not make the same mistakes I did." But this voice alone could not wake her from her daze. All she heard were the words, understanding them in her mind while her body was still motionless. But then she heard another voice; a boy's voice.

"C'mon Ryo is that it? Giving up so soon?" it asked in an almost playful tone. "Don't make my mistake, get out while you still can, after all, you still owe me a rematch…I need to see you again."

A sudden spark snapped inside of her. Ryo opened her eyes and finally realized what was happening around her. She struggled to regain control of her body. She could see glowing yellow orbs below her and she knew immediately what they were. Finding her strength returning to her she was able to free an arm and a leg from the shadows, an aura of green and blue started to surround her body as she suddenly felt her body changing. Two things were emerging from her back, tearing slits into her shirt as they did so. Something else was coming from the back of her hips and two more things from her head. Just when she thought she would fall into the pit of heartless below her body stopped in an instant, she could feel her body being propelled upwards by something and when she turned around to look she discovered in shock and awe that two large, beautiful, dark blue dragon wings had emerged from her back as did a tail and, when she felt what was on her head, dragon horns.

Gaining control of her new appendages she started to fly up, seeing a light above. As she flew to the light, the female voice came back to her, speaking in a satisfied tone. "Well done my child. You have realized your gift and overcome the Darkness this time. May our next encounter be in a better situation."

After the woman's voice faded the boy's came back. "Heh, that's my girl."

Ryo's eyes soon opened slowly, the binding light taking a toll on her tired eyes. "Riku?" she called out softly. The only answer she received was a girl giggling,

"Man, why is it that every time someone wakes up in front of me they think I'm someone else?" came the voice of Yuffie.

Ryo sat up from the bed hastily and looked around confused. All the young Final Fantasy characters that were in the game were around her bed, with Sora, Kairi, Donald and Goofy also. Ryo recognized the room as the small house and met eyes with everyone feeling very nervous.

"Ummm….hi," was all she managed to say.

"Hey there, I'm Yuffie by the way, and you're safe with us now that you're no longer a prisoner," said the young ninja.

"Prisoner?" asked Ryo.

"It's ok, I explained everything to them about you being a prisoner of Maleficent and all," replied Sora. The girl gave him an odd look before Leon spoke up.

"So that keyhole is unfinished you say? Now that all of the princess' hearts have been freed it should be now; hurry Sora, the Darkness is growing stronger by the minute."

"Yeah, not to mention the heartless here are stronger too, you better watch your back Keybearer," chimed in Yuffie.

"Heh, don't worry, we'll take care of it," said Sora with his usual grin. After he and his two companions left the house Ryo jumped to her feet and followed after them before anyone else could say anything.

Sora turned around to see her running up to him and was taken by surprise when she suddenly grabbed him by the shoulders.

"I need to talk to Sora alone for a moment," said Ryo while looking at Donald and Goofy who were getting ready to draw their weapons. They looked at each other for a moment and said they would meet Sora in the First District when they were done.

Ryo turned to face Sora again, her deep blue eyes narrowed on his while her hands stayed gripped on his shoulders. "Why did you lie to them back there?"

"Whoa, hang on. I know I shouldn't have lied to them but it was the only thing I could think of that would make sure they would take care of you. If I told them you had anything to do with Maleficent they might not have taken you in," he said a bit rushed as her gaze was making him nervous.

"Fair enough, but I believe you also have something of mine," she said backing up and holding out her hand.

"Oh, the orb." Sora reached into his pocket and pulled out the green crystal and carefully placed it in her palm. "I was just keeping it safe," he said in his defense.

Ryo let out a small sigh of relief and placed the orb in the leather pouch on her belt. "Well…thank you anyway, for helping me," she said softly, keeping her eyes away from Sora for a moment before looking back at him with an odd expression of bewilderment. "What? I'm not going to attack you, at least not yet," she said in a slight stern tone.

Sora had his keyblade out, but at his side in one hand. It was his turn to let out a sigh once he found out he was safe for now.

"You know," he started, "you don't seem that bad, why were you helping Maleficent? Why was she that important to you?" he asked.

Ryo was silent for a moment, trying to think of the best way to put it. "She helped me; she helped me when I was taken from my world to Hollow Bastion and even gave me something I thought I would never have again."

"What was it?" he asked.

"Magic, and…and," she couldn't finish the rest; all she could do was shake her head. "I'm not sure about the other things, but if it wasn't for her I would never have met Riku," she added with her voice fading a bit.

"So Riku really was a close friend of yours?"

Ryo looked at him for a moment, noticing his voice became a bit softer. "Yes, he was."

"You mentioned something about magic; did you have that on your world too?"

"Yes, but it's not a very favored thing there. The people who live near the mountains and countryside take part in it, and the people in the cities and capitals fear it, that's why they took it from me," she added in a hurt tone. Sora noticed she was now gripping one of her wrists as if she was just released from manacles.

"Are you ok?" he asked her.

"I'll be fine," she said after pushing the memory into the back of her head. "Anyway, to get to the point you want to get Riku back just as much as I do right? For the time being I am willing to cooperate with you in order to do so, that is why I am offering a temporary truce."

"Why can't we just have a permanent one?"

"Because I can not forgive you, not for a long time at least; so, do we have a deal?" she asked, her hand out to him.

Sora glanced at her hand for a moment and took it, shaking it firmly. Before Sora could let go Ryo held onto his hand like a vice, looking him hard in the eyes. "Of course," she started, "once we save Riku, the truce is over."

After his hand was released Ryo looked towards the First District Door for a moment then to Sora.

"Something tells me you better to see Cid, I'm sure you have some gummi pieces for him to install.

I want to explore the town for a bit and yes, I know, there are heartless running about but I can handle them. Just let me know when we're ready to leave." After having said that she turned around and walked down the stairs and headed into the Second District, leaving a puzzled Sora.

"Umm…ok then?"

Once Ryo was made it into the other district she sighed and leaned against the large wooden doors. What just happened back there? She had actually threatened Sora, the hero, the main character of the game. No. This was no longer a game, this was her life now, as Maleficent's apprentice- Maleficent! Was the spell complete? Was her mentor's spirit inside her body? She was so unsure at the moment, she just needed to clear her head for a moment.

While Ryo walked on the sidewalk she looked around her carefully, sensing the heartless near. She could see their soulless yellow orbs in the shadows filled with hunger for her heart, and they knew she didn't have just one heart, but another's inside with the darkness they preyed upon. But they weren't attacking like she expected, no, they seemed…afraid. But what could they be afraid of? She never had control over them; but maybe, just maybe she did now.

The beating of large wings against the air awoke her from her trance. There were a few heartless with the gull to attack her after all, wyvern to be precise. Ryo stood still, her hand slowly reaching to her weapon as the creature neared. Wasting no more time the heartless reeled back in the air then started to attack her like a screw-driver. In a flash and slice of scale and body the heartless fell into a heap of HP spheres, rousing the killing instinct of other heartless near by.

Wyvern, dark balls, and search ghosts were making their way toward the girl. It was only a matter of seconds until they were defeated as well. She had no idea her fighting had improved so much while she stood near a shop window catching her breath. A familiar voice surprised her as it congratulated her on her performance. It shocked her a bit as her head whirled around trying to find the speaker.

"M-Maleficent-sama?" she gasped.

"Look to the window," said the voice.

Sure enough, as Ryo looked to the window she could see Maleficent in the reflection, sitting on the railing with her hands resting in her lap, her usual dark smirk on her blood-red lips.

"I began to worry how long it would take you to notice. Tsk tsk child, we'll just have to intensify your training now won't we?" asked the dark fairy.

With much needed joy Ryo leapt to the window, for that brief moment forgetting about the glass barrier and knocked her forehead against it, making a quick sound of pain and rubbing the sore spot while her face turned beat red. "Ite…"

Maleficent lifted an eyebrow, trying her best not to laugh at her apprentice. Shaking off the embarrassment the girl smiled and looked upon her mentor with relief and joy.

"I'm so glad to see you again Maleficent-sama. Will we be able to speak like this with anything that reflects?"  
"Yes; now then, what is this I here about you siding with Sora?" asked Maleficent somewhat angered as her face gave her student a stern look for a brief moment. Before Ryo could answer she raised her hand to silence her as she continued. "Since we are sharing the same body I can see, hear, touch, and smell everything you can. Now I heard everything you said to him and to be honest there is not much I have against this short alliance. I know how much you care for Riku and how much he cares for you, a perfectly fine reason to join Sora. You know this will mean fighting Ansem in the end."

Ryo nodded her head as she thought about Riku. She wished she had gotten a chance to get further in the game so she would know what lie ahead and how she could get him back.

"May I ask you something personal, Maleficent-sama?"

"What do you wish to know child?"

"Leon said it has been nine years since you took over Hollow Bastion. That means you knew Ansem for sometime then. Was there anything…I mean, what was your relationship with him like?"

Maleficent was silent for a moment as she looked into Ryo's eyes. She couldn't lie to her. Even for an evil fairy there have been very few times in her life she had lie, and this was not going to be one.

"At first, he was just a man with an idea to plunge all worlds into darkness; an idea I would later take for myself. For sometime we were just partners in this plot…but it grew into something more. In my life I have learned there are very few people you could trust. Those who deceive you make sure you pay for it in the end."

"Were you two ever…-?"

"Yes, we were lovers at one point if that was what you were going to ask. We would have ruled over the darkness together as a king and queen would, become the strongest there ever were."

Ryo's eyes were wide for a moment, finding it hard to believe such a thing. In thinking such a thing an image appeared in her mind that she tried to remove by shaking it out, followed by the constant rubbing of her temples- a site Maleficent found both amusing then a little embarrassing for herself. "When did he open the door?" Ryo finally managed to ask.

"A few months ago, we were supposed to have opened it together but you can see he went ahead of me. He disappeared after that, wandering the worlds in a half-life form."

"Yeah, I remember, he even came to my world and spoke to me. I had no idea who he was then, just thought he was some weird guy trying to promote the game. But what he said to me, it was if he wanted this to happen."

"He did? Then he must have been able to sense the power within you just as I did. He plans on using you Ryo, whatever happens you must defeat him, don't become his pawn as Riku did; especially now that I gave you my power." Her hands were tightening as she spoke, it was becoming harder to fight back the urge to cry; she couldn't, she had worked so hard to overcome that weakness and she would not lose control over some man.

"Wait, my dream, when I turned into that, that anthro dragon form, was that because of you?"  
"Yes, while you were resting in the recovery chamber I gave you some of my blood. That form you had in your dream is something you will be able to master in training."

"Does this mean I'll be able to change into a huge dragon too?" she asked eagerly.

"In due time, but enough of this, make sure you are prepared for the fight ahead, waste not the time you have now for surely Ansem is not far from reaching his goal."

"Right, just one more thing, how can I revive you?"

"Just keep the orb from my staff safe, It will slowly collect enough energy for the spell you will have to perform later."

"Ok, I promise to keep it safe and make those who hurt you suffer, especially Ansem. I'm sorry he had to go and literally stab you in the heart like that, heh, you'd think once would be enough?" she asked trying to make light of the situation.

Maleficent only smiled lightly in return and faded away, leaving Ryo's reflection in the glass behind. Ryo sighed and leaned her back against the building; making the sure the orb was secure in a pouch on her belt before shoving her hands back in her pockets, only to be lightly prodded with a few sharp things.

"What the-," she pulled out a few objects resembling crystals and gems. "Oh that's right, the heartless kept dropping these and I saved them." While staying at Hollow Bastion and on the Jolly Rodger, Ryo had been saving the items the heartless dropped. Remembering about the synth shop she grinned and put the items back, deciding that was where she would become better equipped for battle, after all, it was just like the game.

It would only be a matter of minutes until the gummi ship would reach the End of the World. Ryo was sitting in the back, fumbling with one of her protective chains she had made with the moogles. She was a bit nervous about this upcoming battle, and her mind couldn't leave the incidents that had happened at Hollow Bastion moments ago.

Never had Ryo thought she would get to meet any of the Disney princesses be they real or just actresses (with the exception of Alice who wasn't of royalty). A smile crept to her face as they thought her nervousness around them was cute and the odd face Sora kept giving her. Then there was the conversation with Aurora. It was ironic how nice she was when she had no knowledge of who she was or who she worked for (the uneasiness she felt inside was made worse with Maleficent's voice in the back of her head).

The battle could have gone better than she thought. Since she had never fought a behemoth in the game she had no idea how to fight it or what its weakness was. But with experience with similar bosses she figured it out in time and relayed the tactic to Sora and his companions.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard Donald whispering to Sora and Goofy about her; it was obvious he did not trust her.

"But you said she worked for Maleficent," whispered the angered duck.

"I know, but she isn't really all that bad, yeah she's a little odd but who isn't?" protested Sora.

"Gwarsh, I know she seems nice and all but, don'tcha think she may try to attack us? We did get rid of Maleficent, and she seemed awfully close to her," said Goofy.

"Yeah I know, but she is also Riku's friend, and he's my friend too-oh Ryo!"

Sora was a bit startled when she had come up to them. Her face was almost emotionless with the exception of the awe and determination in her eyes as she looked out ahead of them.

"We're here."

Coming out from the small cave Sora and two of his companions gazed at the fast ocean of broken worlds before them. Black and purple spheres of energy fell from the sky like glimpses of a gentle snowfall. Snapping out of the light trance Ryo looked down at her necklace as it began to glow with a silver light then faded seconds later. "What the- Hey, where's Goofy?" she asked looking around.

"He said he was going to check some things from the ship," replied Donald.

"Oh, so that's how it works, heh, of course it makes sense," she said rolling her eyes.

"Huh, what are you talking about?" asked Sora.

"So you mean all those times I had you- I mean, you had Tarzan or Jack or Peter Pan join your party one of you would just wait on the gummi ship?" asked Ryo.

"Yeah, how did you know about all of that though? Oh wait, I guess Maleficent told you huh?"

"Oh, y-yeah of course. Well, let's not waste anymore time, we have to stop Ansem."

"Right!" chimed the other two.

Her heart was beating rapidly, they had just revisited all the worlds in the game just to fight heartless and get an extra set of battle accessories. Ryo was surprised Sora gave her a few, it almost made her feel bad she was going to practically kill him later to avenge Maleficent- well, maybe she would beat him to nearly an inch of his life, she wasn't really the killing type except when it came to heartless.

"Whoa! Is that fire coming from that hole!" exclaimed Ryo.

"Look's like, and that's where we're going, right Sora?" asked Donald.

"Yep, but don't worry, if it is another boss battle I stocked up on lots of Hi-Potions," said Sora.

"Hyuck! Me too!" chimed Goofy.

"That's good….Goofy?" squawked Donald.

"What are you doing here? I thought only three people could fight?" wondered Ryo.

"I just followed you guys from that last save point. Ya'know I thought about that and I don't see why we can't all fight together, unless you guys have a reason?" asked Goofy.

"Ummm….because four is the number of death?" suggested Ryo.

After her comment the trio looked at her a little oddly, making her a bit nervous.

"Eh, eheh, well, it will mean death to our enemies! If three is a powerful number then one more shouldn't hurt right?" she added.

The three agreed and made sure they were as best equipped as they could be before stepping into the fiery portal. When they came out they were floating in mid-air as if they were in Neverland. A shadowy figure could be seen ahead as a faint and fast violin could be heard in the background.

"Wait, I know that song!" gasped Ryo.

Before Sora or anyone could ask the dark figure spread it's large wings to reveal a huge horned demon underneath. It's yellow and soulless eyes turned in their direction, a deep growl emitting from his throat. If it was possible it would have charged right at them, but the creature was stuck in a mountain from the waist down.

"What's that!" exclaimed Sora.

"Chernabog."

At the sound of his name a massive claw came to swipe at the quartet. Sora, Donald and Goofy were able to escape just fine but Ryo had some trouble. The back of his hand knocked her back quite a bit. She had never flown and this was a good time she could use some experience. She couldn't even think of why she was flying, she was never showered in pixie dust before. The closest thing of that happening to her was when she was running on the Jolly Rodger and accidentally ran into Tinkerbelle who flew right into her forehead. Now that she thought about it she remembered brushing off pixie dust so that may be why- wait! Here she is in the middle of a boss battle and she's reminiscing about getting smacked by pixies! No matter, she was aware of her surroundings now, dragonblade ready to slash and magic flowing through her. Now she was ready to try fighting full out with her new powers.


End file.
